Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

प्रापयामास तां गंगां दैलीपिः पुरतश्चरन् । निर्वाणकाशनाद्यत्र काशीति प्रथिता पुरी

Transliteration

prāpayāmāsa tāṃ gaṃgāṃ dailīpiḥ purataścaran | nirvāṇakāśanādyatra kāśīti prathitā purī

Translation

达伊利毗走在她前方，引领圣洁的恒河来到此城——此处因能照耀涅槃之道，故此城闻名为“迦尸（Kāśī）”。

Word by Word

• प्रापयामास: caused to reach, brought
• प्रापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप्/आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोजक (Causative sense: caused to reach)

• ताम्: that (her)
• ताम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गङ्गाम्: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिलीपिः: Dilīpi (name)
• दिलीपिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरतः: in front, ahead
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• चरन्: walking, proceeding
• चरन्: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्वाणकाशनात्: from (its) shining as liberation / because it illumines liberation
• निर्वाणकाशनात्: Hetu/Nimitta (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण+काशना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः निर्वाणस्य काशना (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रथिता: was renowned
• प्रथिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (context continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (nirvāṇa-kāśanā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ceremonial leading of Gaṅgā into Kāśī: the river-goddess follows as a luminous presence; the city is depicted as shining with the ‘light of nirvāṇa’.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kāśī
• Dailīpi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is defined as the place that ‘shines forth’ liberation, making mokṣa central to its sacred identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the nirvāṇa-kṣetra, with Gaṅgā’s presence reinforcing its salvific power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it provides a mahātmya-based etymology and sacred-historical grounding for Kāśī.