Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

निर्मथ्य विष्वग्वाग्जालं सारभूतमिदं परम् । ब्रह्मणोदीरितं पूर्वं काश्यां मुक्तिस्तनुत्यजाम्

Transliteration

nirmathya viṣvagvāgjālaṃ sārabhūtamidaṃ param | brahmaṇodīritaṃ pūrvaṃ kāśyāṃ muktistanutyajām

Translation

Nachdem das weite Netz der Worte durchwühlt und gleichsam ausgebuttert wurde, ist diese höchste Essenz gewonnen—einst von Brahmā verkündet: In Kāśī erlangt Befreiung, wer den Leib ablegt.

Word by Word

• निर्मथ्य: having churned/extracted
• निर्मथ्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निर् + मथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having churned/extracted

• विष्वक्: everywhere, in all ways
• विष्वक्: Visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्वक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: everywhere/in all directions)

• वाक्जालम्: the net/collection of words
• वाक्जालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाचां जालम्)

• सारभूतम्: having become the essence; essential
• सारभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (कृदन्त; भू + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सारः एव भूतम् = essential) विशेषणम् (इदम्/परम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इदम्)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• उदीरितम्: uttered, proclaimed
• उदीरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (इदम्/परम्)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तनुत्यजाम्: of the body-abandoners (those who give up the body)
• तनुत्यजाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक) + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (तनुं त्यजति इति तनुत्यजः; देहत्यागी) — ‘of those who abandon the body’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic ‘churning’ of a scroll-ocean of words yields a luminous essence-gem labeled ‘Kāśī-mukti’; Brahmā appears as the ancient authority speaking, while Kāśī’s skyline and Śiva’s presence anchor the conclusion.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kāśī
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ‘essence’ distilled from many teachings is that Kāśī uniquely grants mokṣa at the time of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as the place where tanutyāga leads to liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is listed; the doctrinal claim is the mokṣa-fruit associated with dying in Kāśī.