Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

वाराणसी यदा प्राप्ता कदाचित्कालपर्ययात् । स उपायो विधातव्यो येन नो निष्क्रमो बहिः

Transliteration

vārāṇasī yadā prāptā kadācitkālaparyayāt | sa upāyo vidhātavyo yena no niṣkramo bahiḥ

Translation

Wenn Vārāṇasī erreicht ist—zu irgendeiner Zeit durch die Wendung des Geschicks—soll man das Mittel ergreifen, durch das es kein Hinausgehen über sie hinaus gibt.

Word by Word

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: when)

• प्राप्ता: reached; arrived
• प्राप्ता: Karta qualifier (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (वाराणस्याः)

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Temporal (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितकालवाचक (adverb: at some time)

• कालपर्ययात्: due to a turn/change of time
• कालपर्ययात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + पर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य पर्ययात्)

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उपायः: means; method
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• विधातव्यः: must be arranged; should be done
• विधातव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय; gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (उपायः)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (by which)

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (our)

• निष्क्रमः: exit; going out
• निष्क्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Gati/Directional (दिशा/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: outside)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler arrives at Kāśī’s ghāṭas, lays down travel staff, and makes a firm vow before a Śiva shrine; a symbolic boundary line of Avimukta glows, indicating ‘no exit’ through steadfast devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Having reached Kāśī, one should hold fast to the spiritual method that keeps one anchored in its liberating sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī/Kāśī, especially understood as Avimukta-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An upāya (practical discipline/means) is enjoined, though the specific practice is detailed in the surrounding verses.