Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

वाराणसीं समुत्सृज्य यस्त्वन्यत्र यियासति । हत्वा निधानं पादेन सोर्थमिच्छति भिक्षया

Transliteration

vārāṇasīṃ samutsṛjya yastvanyatra yiyāsati | hatvā nidhānaṃ pādena sorthamicchati bhikṣayā

Translation

Wer Vārāṇasī verlässt und anderswohin ziehen will, gleicht einem, der mit dem Fuß einen vergrabenen Schatz wegstößt und dann Reichtum durch Betteln sucht.

Word by Word

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समुत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• समुत्सृज्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-सृज् (धातु) → समुत्सृज्य (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: सृज्; उपसर्ग: सम्+उत्; ‘having completely abandoned’

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक/यत्-शब्द

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यियासति: wants to go
• यियासति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) → यियास (देशिदेरिवेटिव/इच्छार्थक)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; इच्छार्थक-रूप (desiderative): ‘wants to go’

• हत्वा: having struck
• हत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; ‘having struck/killed’

• निधानम्: a treasure/hoard
• निधानम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पादेन: with the foot
• पादेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अर्थम्: wealth/means
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भिक्षया: by begging
• भिक्षया: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; साधन/उपायार्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa norm: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers in the frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man walks away from Kāśī’s ghāṭas while his foot strikes the ground where a glowing treasure chest is half-buried; in the distance he holds a begging bowl, symbolizing misguided pursuit.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leaving Kāśī is depicted as self-sabotage—discarding immediate spiritual wealth and then seeking lesser gains with difficulty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī is glorified as a ‘treasure’ readily available to the seeker.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implicitly recommends steadfastness—remaining connected to Kāśī’s sacred discipline.