Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

काश्यां वसंति ये धीरा आपंचत्व विनिश्चयाः । जीवन्मुक्तास्तु ते ज्ञेया वंद्याः पूज्यास्त एव हि

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ vasaṃti ye dhīrā āpaṃcatva viniścayāḥ | jīvanmuktāstu te jñeyā vaṃdyāḥ pūjyāsta eva hi

Translation

Jene standhaften Seelen, die in Kāśī wohnen und den Zustand jenseits des Fünffachen (pañcatva) fest erkannt haben, sind als Lebendbefreite zu wissen; wahrlich, nur sie sind der Verehrung und Anbetung würdig.

Word by Word

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

• वसन्ति: live, dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• धीराः: steadfast/wise persons
• धीराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• आ: up to, completely (prefix)
• आ: Upasarga (Prefix)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• पञ्चत्व: state of five-ness; dissolution into the five elements (death)
• पञ्चत्व: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विनिश्चयाः: those having firm ascertainment
• विनिश्चयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• जीवन्मुक्ताः: liberated while living
• जीवन्मुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय) + मुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (जीवन् एव मुक्ताः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ज्ञेयाः: to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयाः: Predicate (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘to be known/considered’

• वन्द्याः: worthy of reverence
• वन्द्याः: Predicate (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्द् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘to be saluted’

• पूज्याः: worthy of worship
• पूज्याः: Predicate (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: भाव्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘to be worshipped’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• एव: certainly, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī riverside at dawn: steadfast ascetics and householders with calm faces, seated in meditation near a ghat, while devotees offer respectful salutations; Viśvanātha’s presence implied through liṅga iconography and temple spires in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life in Kāśī, grounded in firm spiritual discernment, culminates in jīvanmukti—liberation while still embodied.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a supreme liberating sacred geography (sthāna).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes inner certainty and realized wisdom as the mark of sanctity in Kāśī.