Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न कालवंचनोपायं मुनेन्यमवयाम्यहम् । विना मृत्युजयं काशीनाथं गर्भावरोधकम्

Transliteration

na kālavaṃcanopāyaṃ munenyamavayāmyaham | vinā mṛtyujayaṃ kāśīnāthaṃ garbhāvarodhakam

Translation

O Weiser, ich verkünde keinen Weg, die Zeit zu täuschen oder zu überlisten—außer Kāśīnātha, dem Herrn von Kāśī, dem Mṛtyuñjaya, dem Bezwinger des Todes, der den Weg in den Schoß (die Wiedergeburt) versperrt.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• कालवञ्चनोपायम्: means of deceiving time
• कालवञ्चनोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + वञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य वञ्चनस्य उपायः)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• एन्यम्: such/this (kind of)
• एन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अवयामि: I declare/expound
• अवयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय; वियोगार्थक (without); प्रायः तृतीया/द्वितीयासह

• मृत्युजयम्: (the) conqueror of death / Mṛtyuñjaya
• मृत्युजयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मृत्योः जयः)

• काशीनाथम्: Lord of Kāśī
• काशीनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः नाथः)

• गर्भावरोधकम्: the one who blocks (rebirth in) the womb
• गर्भावरोधकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + अवरोधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (गर्भस्य अवरोधकः) विशेषणम् (काशीनाथस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) / Kāśīnātha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage is addressed: the speaker declares that Time cannot be cheated, except by Kāśīnātha—Śiva as Mṛtyuñjaya—radiant, holding trident, granting fearlessness and sealing the gate of rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśīnātha
• Mṛtyuñjaya (Śiva)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No worldly trick defeats death; only Śiva—Kāśīnātha as Mṛtyuñjaya—grants victory over death by granting freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) through its Lord Kāśīnātha/Viśveśvara, praised as the unique refuge beyond Time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, surrender/devotion to Kāśīnātha (Mṛtyuñjaya) is prescribed as the effective spiritual remedy against death and rebirth.