Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

देहेष्वनित्यतां दृष्ट्वा नित्यता परमात्मनः । कुर्वीत मुक्तये यत्नं यत्रयत्राश्रमे रतः

Transliteration

deheṣvanityatāṃ dṛṣṭvā nityatā paramātmanaḥ | kurvīta muktaye yatnaṃ yatrayatrāśrame rataḥ

Translation

Wer die Vergänglichkeit der Körper und die Ewigkeit des höchsten Selbst (Paramātman) erkennt, soll sich um Befreiung bemühen und in dem jeweiligen Āśrama, in dem er weilt, hingebungsvoll leben.

Word by Word

• देहेषु: in bodies
• देहेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine Locative Plural

• अनित्यताम्: impermanence
• अनित्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनित्यता (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + नित्य + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine Accusative Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — having seen

• नित्यता: eternity
• नित्यता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (दृष्ट्वा इत्यस्य कर्म) — Feminine Accusative Singular

• परमात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Genitive Singular; 'of the Supreme Self'

• कुर्वीत: should make/do
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada

• मुक्तये: for liberation
• मुक्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine Dative Singular

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• यत्रयत्र: wherever
• यत्रयत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र-यत्र (अव्यय; पुनरुक्त)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'wherever')

• आश्रमे: in (any) āśrama/stage of life
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Locative Singular

• रतः: being devoted/engaged
• रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् "to delight"; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तरि) — Masculine Nom Singular; 'engaged/devoted'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker contemplates a fading body (withered leaf motif) while a steady, luminous inner flame symbolizes the Paramātman; four āśramas appear as subtle background figures, all oriented toward a central Śiva-liṅga/inner light.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātman
• Āśrama system

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moksha is grounded in discernment: body is impermanent, the Self is eternal; therefore liberation-effort is essential in every life-stage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied liberating setting where such knowledge and striving are especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: make sustained effort toward mukti regardless of being a student, householder, forest-dweller, or renunciate.