Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

शशकैर्मशकैः काश्यां यत्पदं हेलयाप्यते । तत्पदं नाप्यतेऽन्यत्र योगयुक्त्यापि योगिभिः

Transliteration

śaśakairmaśakaiḥ kāśyāṃ yatpadaṃ helayāpyate | tatpadaṃ nāpyate'nyatra yogayuktyāpi yogibhiḥ

Translation

在迦尸（Kāśī），连最微小的众生也能似乎不经意地获得的那一灵性境地；在他处，即使瑜伽行者以严谨的瑜伽法门修持，也难以证得。

Word by Word

• शशकैः: by hares/rabbits
• शशकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• मशकैः: by mosquitoes
• मशकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative)

• पदम्: state; position; goal
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हेलया: casually; in play
• हेलया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/रीति

• अप्यते: is attained
• अप्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative determiner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative)

• पदम्: state; goal
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अप्यते: is attained
• अप्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय = adverb

• योगयुक्त्या: by yogic method
• योगयुक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (योगस्य युक्तिः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय = particle (‘even/also’)

• योगिभिः: by yogis
• योगिभिः: Karana/Agent in passive (कर्तृ/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tiny creatures (hare, mosquito) near a Kāśī ghāṭa step touch the sacred ground; a luminous path rises from the kṣetra. In the distance, austere yogins in forests strive yet remain outside that radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a supreme tīrtha like Kāśī, divine grace linked to sacred geography can surpass even arduous yogic striving elsewhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as uniquely potent for attaining the highest spiritual state.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse contrasts effortless attainment in Kāśī with rigorous yogic discipline elsewhere.