Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

न जीयते तथा कालस्तपसा योगयुक्तिभिः । यथा चिरेणकालेन काशीवासाद्विजीयते

Transliteration

na jīyate tathā kālastapasā yogayuktibhiḥ | yathā cireṇakālena kāśīvāsādvijīyate

Translation

لا يُقهر الزمان بتلك الصورة بالزهد والتقشّف ولا بطرائق اليوغا؛ بل في أوانه يُغلب بالسكنى في كاشي المقدّسة.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) ‘not’

• जीयते: is overcome
• जीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense) ‘is conquered/overcome’

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) ‘thus/so’

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘time’

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by austerity’

• योगयुक्तिभिः: by yoga and techniques
• योगयुक्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + yukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (योग + युक्ति), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (युक्ति-प्रधान), तृतीया, बहुवचन; instrumental ‘by (means of) yoga and methods’

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/तुलना) ‘as/just as’

• चिरेण: after long (time)
• चिरेण: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial instrumental/करण-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental used adverbially ‘after a long time/with delay’

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by time/with time’

• काशीवासात्: from residence in Kāśī
• काशीवासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (काश्यां वासः), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative ‘from dwelling in Kāśī’

• विजीयते: is overcome
• विजीयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ji (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) ‘is conquered/overcome’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin and ascetic striving against a vast wheel of Time; beyond them, Kāśī appears luminous on the Gaṅgā, with Śiva’s presence halting the wheel—symbolizing Kāla-jaya through Kāśī-vāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Place-based grace (Kāśī-vāsa) is presented as a uniquely powerful means to transcend time and mortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified as the means by which time is overcome.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kāśī-vāsa (residing in Kāśī) is the prescribed sādhana; tapas and yoga are mentioned comparatively.