Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

सा च वाराणसी लभ्या सदाचारवता सदा । मनसापि सदाचारमतो विद्वान्न लंघयेत्

Transliteration

sā ca vārāṇasī labhyā sadācāravatā sadā | manasāpi sadācāramato vidvānna laṃghayet

Translation

Vārāṇasī wird wahrhaft erlangt von dem, der stets in rechter Lebensführung steht. Darum soll der Weise den Sadācāra nicht einmal im Gedanken überschreiten.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī (Kashi)
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लभ्या: obtainable
• लभ्या: Karya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त साध्य/योग्य (gerundive: ‘to be obtained’)

• सदाचारवता: by one of good conduct
• सदाचारवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदाचार + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त; करण/हेतौ प्रयोगः (‘by/for one possessing good conduct’)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• सदाचारम्: good conduct
• सदाचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (therefore/for this reason)

• विद्वान्: a learned man
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद् (धातु) + वस् (कृदन्त ‘विद्वस्’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त/विशेषण-प्रायः (learned person)

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

• लङ्घयेत्: should transgress
• लङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī ghāṭ pauses in introspection, hands folded, while temptations of misconduct are depicted as faint shadow-figures dissolving; a sage points to the heart, indicating mental discipline; the city’s temples glow quietly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is not merely a destination; it is attained through sustained ethical life and inner purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta-kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the discipline is sadācāra—right conduct even at the level of thought.