Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तस्मादात्मसुखंप्रेप्सु रिष्टानिष्टं न चिंतयेत् । चिंतयेच्चेत्तदाचिंत्यो मोक्षोपायो न चेतरः

Transliteration

tasmādātmasukhaṃprepsu riṣṭāniṣṭaṃ na ciṃtayet | ciṃtayeccettadāciṃtyo mokṣopāyo na cetaraḥ

Translation

Darum soll, wer die Wonne des Selbst begehrt, nicht an Glück oder Unglück hängen. Und wenn er denken muss, so denke der Geist an das Unausdenkbare, das Höchste; dies allein ist der Weg zur Befreiung (mokṣa), kein anderer.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• आत्मसुखम्: one’s own happiness
• आत्मसुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्-सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—आत्मनः सुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रेप्सु: O seeker (desirous of attaining)
• प्रेप्सु: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त—आप्/आप्नोति धातोः सन्-इच्छार्थक, प्रेप्सु = इच्छुक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक-विशेषण (desirous of obtaining)

• रिष्टानिष्टम्: good and bad (fortune and misfortune)
• रिष्टानिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिष्ट-अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—रिष्टं च अनिष्टं च (good and bad)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• चिन्तयेत्: should think about
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• अचिन्त्यः: unthinkable/inconceivable
• अचिन्त्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त—चिन्त् धातोः यत्, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मोक्षोपायः: means to liberation
• मोक्षोपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष-उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—मोक्षस्य उपायः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इतरः: anything else/another (means)
• इतरः: Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa default)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker on the Gaṅgā steps, eyes half-closed, dualities (good/bad omens) depicted as fading masks; above, an abstract luminous form of the Acintya—formless radiance with a subtle liṅga silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa/Īśvara (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Transcend fixation on outcomes and contemplate the Supreme; such God-centered contemplation is presented as the direct means to mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred context, emphasizing liberation-oriented teaching associated with the Kāśī tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the prescription is inner sādhana—contemplation of the Supreme (Aciṃtya).