Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतानि कालचिह्नानि संत्यन्यानि बहून्यपि । ज्ञात्वाभ्यसेन्नरो योगमथवाकाशिकां श्रयेत्

Transliteration

etāni kālacihnāni saṃtyanyāni bahūnyapi | jñātvābhyasennaro yogamathavākāśikāṃ śrayet

Translation

هذه علاماتُ الزمان، نُذُرُ الموت، ولها غيرُها كثير. فإذا عرفها المرءُ فليُداوم على اليوغا—أو ليلجأ إلى كاشيكا (كاشي).

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• कालचिह्नानि: signs of time
• कालचिह्नानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य चिह्नानि)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अभ्यसेत्: should practice
• अभ्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• काशिकाम्: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• श्रयेत्: should resort to
• श्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective pilgrim, having recognized ominous signs of time, stands at a crossroads: one path of austere yoga practice, the other leading toward the luminous city of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Awareness of mortality should mature into practice: either disciplined yoga or wholehearted refuge in Kāśī, the liberating city of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) is explicitly presented as a shelter when death-portents arise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is sādhana: ‘practice yoga’ and/or ‘take refuge in Kāśī’ (pilgrimage/residence/surrender to its Lord).