Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

आश्रमांश्चतुरस्त्वेवं क्रमादासेव्य पंडितः । निर्द्वंद्वस्त्यक्तसंगश्च ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते

Transliteration

āśramāṃścaturastvevaṃ kramādāsevya paṃḍitaḥ | nirdvaṃdvastyaktasaṃgaśca brahmabhūyāya kalpate

Translation

So wird der Weise, nachdem er die vier Āśramas der Reihe nach rechtmäßig durchlaufen hat—frei von den Gegensatzpaaren und ohne Anhaftung—tauglich zur Verwirklichung Brahmans.

Word by Word

• आश्रमान्: the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (आश्रमान्)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• एवम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• क्रमात्: in sequence/gradually
• क्रमात्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘क्रमात्’ (in order/gradually)

• आसेव्य: having practiced/undertaken
• आसेव्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+सेव् (धातु) → आसेव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having practiced/served’

• पण्डितः: the wise person
• पण्डितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निर्द्वन्द्वः: free from dualities
• निर्द्वन्द्वः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक; निर्+द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पण्डितः)

• त्यक्तसङ्गः: having abandoned attachment
• त्यक्तसङ्गः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्तसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; त्यक्त+सङ्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘सङ्गं त्यक्तः’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव) ; कृदन्त (क्त)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मभूयाय: for Brahmanhood (state of Brahman)
• ब्रह्मभूयाय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मभूय (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन्+भूय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ (for attaining Brahman-state)

• कल्पते: is fit/attains/is destined
• कल्पते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic progression: student, householder, forest-dweller, and renunciant shown in four panels leading to a meditative sage seated facing the Ganga, serene and unattached.

Characters & Entities

• Four Āśramas
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Orderly dharmic living culminating in detachment and equanimity prepares one for Brahman-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the spiritual context where the culmination of āśrama-dharma into liberation is celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual; it recommends the disciplined progression through the four āśramas with growing detachment.