Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अयं च नियमोस्माकमद्यारभ्य कलावति । निर्वेक्ष्यामो महाभोगान्दृष्ट्वा तां ज्ञानवापिकाम्

Transliteration

ayaṃ ca niyamosmākamadyārabhya kalāvati | nirvekṣyāmo mahābhogāndṛṣṭvā tāṃ jñānavāpikām

Translation

হে কলাবতী, আজ থেকে আমাদের এই নিয়ম—সেই জ্ঞানবাপী দর্শন করে আমরা মহাভোগসমূহ তুচ্ছ জেনে ত্যাগ করব।

Word by Word

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नियमः: rule / vow
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us / our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/from today)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Adhikarana (Starting point/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √रभ् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ; ल्यप्-प्रत्यय (gerund)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (gerund), आरम्भार्थ (starting from)

• कलावति: O Kalāvatī
• कलावति: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्वेक्ष्यामः: we shall disregard / not look at
• निर्वेक्ष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु) उपसर्ग-निर्
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाभोगान्: great enjoyments
• महाभोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान्तः भोगाः)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

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

• ज्ञान-वापिकाम्: the well/pond of knowledge
• ज्ञान-वापिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + वापिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य वापिका)

Speaker

Kalāvatī’s attendants (declaring a vow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Attendants declare a vow: once they behold Jñānavāpī, they will renounce great pleasures; their faces show calm determination rather than excitement.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī
• Jñānavāpī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-darśana is portrayed as generating vairāgya (detachment) and commitment to disciplined living (niyama).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A niyama is stated: after seeing Jñānavāpī, they resolve to give up indulgent enjoyments.