Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एक एव चरेन्नित्यमनग्निरनिकेतनः । सिद्ध्यर्थमसहायः स्याद्ग्राममन्नार्थमाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

eka eva carennityamanagniraniketanaḥ | siddhyarthamasahāyaḥ syādgrāmamannārthamāśrayet

Translation

Er soll stets allein umherwandern, ohne äußeres Feuer zu unterhalten und ohne festen Wohnsitz. Um der Siddhi willen bleibe er ohne Gefährten und suche ein Dorf nur auf, um Nahrung zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• एकः: alone/one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• चरेत्: should wander/live
• चरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अनग्निः: without fire (no household fire)
• अनग्निः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्ययार्थः; विशेषण

• अनिकेतनः: homeless/without abode
• अनिकेतनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिकेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः; विशेषण

• सिद्ध्यर्थम्: for the sake of attainment/success
• सिद्ध्यर्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• असहायः: without companion/help
• असहायः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असहाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः; विशेषण

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ग्रामम्: a village
• ग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अन्नार्थम्: for food
• अन्नार्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• आश्रयेत्: should resort to
• आश्रयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic walking with staff and waterpot along a dusty path outside Kāśī, refusing shelter; he approaches a village at midday for alms, then departs to a riverside grove.

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Grāma (village)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Solitude and non-dependence reduce distraction; minimal contact with society supports focused striving for realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general yati-dharma instruction within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, not a verse praising a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A lifestyle rule: wander alone, keep no fixed abode, and approach villages only for alms/food.