Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

न सत्पथेनापि न योगयुक्त्या दानैर्नवा नैव तपोभिरुग्रैः । काशी द्विजाशीर्भिरहो सुलभ्या किंवा प्रसादेन च विश्वभर्तुः

Transliteration

na satpathenāpi na yogayuktyā dānairnavā naiva tapobhirugraiḥ | kāśī dvijāśīrbhiraho sulabhyā kiṃvā prasādena ca viśvabhartuḥ

Translation

迦尸（Kāśī）并非仅凭正道、亦非凭瑜伽修持、布施，或严酷苦行就能如此轻易获得；反倒是因二次生者（婆罗门等）的祝福，或因护持宇宙之主的慈恩加被，而变得易于亲近。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय/निषेध)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• सत्-पथेन: by the good path
• सत्-पथेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सत् एव पथः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय/निषेध)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• योग-युक्त्या: by yogic discipline/method
• योग-युक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (योगस्य युक्त्या)

• दानैः: by gifts/charity
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय/निषेध)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय/निषेध)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed/only)

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• उग्रैः: fierce
• उग्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘तपोभिः’ इति विशेषणम्

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्विज-आशीर्भिः: by the blessings of Brahmins
• द्विज-आशीर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + आशीस्/आशीर्भिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् आशीर्भिः)

• अहो: ah!/indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (exclamation)

• सुलभ्या: easily attainable
• सुलभ्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुलभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘काशी’ इति विशेषणम्

• किम्: or what?/perhaps
• किम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• प्रसादेन: by grace
• प्रसादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• विश्व-भर्तुः: of the sustainer of the universe
• विश्व-भर्तुः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य भर्तुः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim burdened with ascetic implements (yoga, tapas, dāna) sets them down as a brāhmaṇa offers blessing; above, Śiva’s hand extends prasāda, and Kāśī’s ghāts and temple appear effortlessly near.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)
• Viśvabhartṛ (Lord as sustainer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace and saintly blessings can grant access to Kāśī’s liberating power beyond personal effort alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Avimukta/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity (dāna) and austerity (tapas) are referenced, but the verse stresses grace and blessings rather than prescribing a specific rite.