Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

विष्णोऽविमुक्ते संवासः कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमः । द्वित्राणां हि पवित्राणां निर्वाणा येह जायते

Transliteration

viṣṇo'vimukte saṃvāsaḥ karmanirmūlanakṣamaḥ | dvitrāṇāṃ hi pavitrāṇāṃ nirvāṇā yeha jāyate

Translation

O Viṣṇu, das Verweilen in Avimukta vermag das Karma an der Wurzel auszureißen. Wahrlich, den Reinen erwächst hier die Befreiung binnen zwei oder drei Tagen und Nächten.

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘अविमुक्त-क्षेत्रे’

• संवासः: dwelling/residence
• संवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमः: capable of uprooting karma
• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मूलन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मणां निर्मूलने क्षमः (तत्पुरुष)

• द्वित्राणाम्: of two or three
• द्वित्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वि-त्रि (द्वन्द्व), ‘द्वयोः त्रयाणां वा’ इत्यर्थे

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; निश्चये/हेतौ

• पवित्राणाम्: of the pure ones / of purifiers
• पवित्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• निर्वाणम्: liberation (nirvāṇa)
• निर्वाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• य: which
• य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śiva (contextual continuation of instruction/praise within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Avimukta: Vishnu is invoked, the city radiates as a mandala; a purified seeker sits in meditation near a ghat/temple, karmic knots depicted as severed threads; dawn-to-dusk cycle hints at ‘two or three’ days.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Avimukta
• Kāśī (implied as Avimukta-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta (Kāśī) is extolled as a mokṣa-kṣetra where karmic bonds are cut and liberation is swiftly attainable for the purified seeker.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra, the ‘Never-abandoned’ sacred heart of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Residence/dwelling (saṃvāsa) in Avimukta is prescribed as the efficacious practice; a short period of two or three (days/nights) is highlighted.