Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

महासमाधिसंपन्नैर्वेदांतार्थ निषेविभिः । दुष्प्रापोन्यत्र यो मोक्षः शोच्यैरपि स लभ्यते

Transliteration

mahāsamādhisaṃpannairvedāṃtārtha niṣevibhiḥ | duṣprāponyatra yo mokṣaḥ śocyairapi sa labhyate

Translation

Jene Befreiung, die anderswo selbst für mit großem Samādhi Begabte und dem Sinn des Vedānta Ergebene schwer zu erlangen ist—hier wird sie sogar von den Elenden und Gefallenen erlangt.

Word by Word

• महासमाधि-संपन्नैः: by those endowed with great samādhi
• महासमाधि-संपन्नैः: करण/सह (Instrumental/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महासमाधि (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (महासमाधिना संपन्नाः); शोच्यैः इत्यादि साधक-समूहस्य विशेषणम्

• वेदान्त-अर्थ: the meaning of Vedānta
• वेदान्त-अर्थ: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदान्तस्य अर्थम्)

• निषेविभिः: by those who practice/attend to
• निषेविभिः: करण/सह (Instrumental/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि+सेव् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun/participle: ‘one who practices’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; महासमाधिसंपन्नैः इत्यस्य सहविशेषणम्

• दुष्प्रापः: hard to obtain
• दुष्प्रापः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्राप्य/प्राप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मोक्षः)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: अधिकरण-सूचक (Locative adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• यः: which
• यः: सम्बन्ध (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शोच्यैः: by the pitiable (people)
• शोच्यैः: करण/सह (Instrumental/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोच्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘शोच्य’ = शुच्/शोच् धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (‘to be pitied’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

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

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within the Kāśī-māhātmya narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split tableau: on one side austere yogins in caves practicing samādhi and studying Vedānta; on the other, Maṇikarṇikā ghāṭa where a weary, fallen person receives a beam of Śiva’s grace leading upward into serene light.

Characters & Entities

• Vedānta
• Samādhi
• Mokṣa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a uniquely merciful field where mokṣa is accessible beyond ordinary spiritual qualifications.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the exceptional place where mokṣa becomes readily attainable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse contrasts ordinary yogic/Vedāntic attainment with Kāśī’s special liberating power.