Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

अद्ययावन्मम गतं वृथाजन्माल्पमेधस । धर्मस्थानानीदृशानि यद्दृष्टानि न कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

adyayāvanmama gataṃ vṛthājanmālpamedhasa | dharmasthānānīdṛśāni yaddṛṣṭāni na kutracit

Translation

“আজ পর্যন্ত আমার যত জীবন কেটেছে, তা বৃথাই গেছে—আমার বুদ্ধি কতই না ক্ষুদ্র ছিল। কারণ এমন ধর্মস্থান আমি কোথাও দেখিনি।”

Word by Word

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

• यावत्: as much as, up to
• यावत्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (as much as / up to)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गतम्: gone, elapsed
• गतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (मम आयुः/कालः इत्यादि अव्यक्तं)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (in vain)

• जन्म: birth, life
• जन्म: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• अल्पमेधस: O dull-witted one
• अल्पमेधस: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प + मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अल्पा मेधा यस्य सः)

• धर्मस्थानानि: places of dharma
• धर्मस्थानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य स्थानानि)

• ईदृशानि: such (as these)
• ईदृशानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (धर्मस्थानानि इति)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्टानि: seen
• दृष्टानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (मया) दृष्टानि

• न: not
• न: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite locative adverb: anywhere)

Speaker

Skanda (narration context: Kāśīkhaṇḍa, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Kāśī’s many dharma-sthānas—temples, ghāṭs, sacred trees—while the king realizes his past ignorance; the city appears as a mandala of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-sthāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment arises when one encounters powerful dharma-sthānas; pilgrimage can convert regret into spiritual resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharma-sthānas of Kāśī as incomparable sacred sites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and darśana of dharma-sthānas.