Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

काशीकांती च मायाख्या त्वयोध्याद्वारवत्यपि । मथुरावंतिका चैताः सप्त पुर्योत्र मोक्षदाः

Transliteration

kāśīkāṃtī ca māyākhyā tvayodhyādvāravatyapi | mathurāvaṃtikā caitāḥ sapta puryotra mokṣadāḥ

Translation

迦尸（Kāśī）、建支（Kāñcī）、摩耶（Māyā，即哈利德瓦尔 Haridvāra）、阿踰陀（Ayodhyā）、堕罗伐底（Dvāravatī）、摩图罗（Mathurā）与阿槃提迦（Avantikā）——此乃世间七大圣城，能赐解脱（mokṣa）。

Word by Word

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

• कान्ती: Kāntī
• कान्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• मायाख्या: called Māyā
• मायाख्या: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मायाया आख्या यस्याः/या) = 'named Māyā'

• त्वयोध्या: Ayodhyā
• त्वयोध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvayā + ayodhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पाठभेद-सन्धिः—'त्वयाऽयोध्या' इत्यर्थे (Ayodhyā)

• द्वारवती: Dvāravatī
• द्वारवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāravatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• मथुरा: Mathurā
• मथुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mathurā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अवन्तिका: Avantikā
• अवन्तिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avantikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; (here) स्त्रीलिङ्ग-बहुवचन-प्रथमा-विशेषणार्थे

• पुर्यः: cities
• पुर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• उत्र: here
• उत्र: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: utra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/there)

• मोक्षदाः: granting liberation
• मोक्षदाः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mokṣa + dā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मोक्षं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-purī (seven mokṣa-giving cities)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary interlocutor within the chapter (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic panorama showing seven sacred cities as jeweled nodes connected by rivers and pilgrimage paths; each city marked by its signature deity/landmark (Viśvanātha, Varadarāja/Kāmākṣī, Gaṅgā at Haridvāra, Rāma at Ayodhyā, Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā/Mathurā, Mahākāla at Ujjain).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Kāñcī
• Māyā (Haridvāra)
• Ayodhyā
• Dvārakā
• Mathurā
• Avantikā (Ujjain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is mapped onto sacred geography: the seven mokṣa-cities are upheld as privileged kṣetras for spiritual release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sapta Purī—Kāśī, Kāñcī, Haridvāra (Māyā), Ayodhyā, Dvārakā, Mathurā, and Ujjain (Avantikā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse is a canonical listing of the mokṣa-giving cities (kṣetra-māhātmya).