Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अग्निमात्मनि चाधाय विचरेदनिकेतनः । भिक्षयेत्प्राणयात्रार्थं तापसान्वनवासिनः

Transliteration

agnimātmani cādhāya vicaredaniketanaḥ | bhikṣayetprāṇayātrārthaṃ tāpasānvanavāsinaḥ

Translation

Nachdem er das heilige Feuer in sich selbst entzündet hat, soll er ohne feste Wohnung umherwandern; und nur zur Erhaltung des Lebens darf er bei den im Wald lebenden Asketen um Almosen bitten.

Word by Word

• agnim: fire
• agnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ātmani: in oneself
• ātmani: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ādhāya: having placed/installed
• ādhāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘आधाय’ = having placed/installed

• vicaret: should wander
• vicaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• aniketanaḥ: homeless; without a fixed abode
• aniketanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + niketana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; न-समास/नञ्-प्रत्यय: ‘without a dwelling’

• bhikṣayet: should beg
• bhikṣayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhikṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should beg’

• prāṇa-yātrā-artham: for sustaining life
• prāṇa-yātrā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + yātrā + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थ-शब्दः पुं), द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक: ‘for the purpose of life-sustenance’

• tāpasān: ascetics
• tāpasān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vana-vāsinaḥ: forest-dwellers
• vana-vāsinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वनवासिन् = ‘dwelling in the forest’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering ascetic with no dwelling, carrying a staff and water-pot, a subtle flame-like aura at the heart symbolizing inner fire; he approaches a forest hermitage to request alms modestly, receiving a small portion.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Tāpasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True renunciation is inward—carrying the sacred fire as inner discipline—while living lightly and without attachment to residence or possessions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It is framed within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred ethos, presenting the renunciant model suitable for seekers in or oriented toward Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā is permitted only for prāṇa-yātrā—minimal sustenance—reflecting restraint rather than dependence.