Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अभाविनो हि भावस्य भावः क्वापि न संभवेत् । भाविनोपि हि नाभावस्ततो मुह्यंति नो बुधाः

Transliteration

abhāvino hi bhāvasya bhāvaḥ kvāpi na saṃbhavet | bhāvinopi hi nābhāvastato muhyaṃti no budhāḥ

Translation

Was nicht dazu bestimmt ist zu sein, kann nirgends entstehen; und was dazu bestimmt ist zu sein, wird nicht zum Nichtsein. Darum werden die Weisen nicht verblendet.

Word by Word

• अभाविनः: of the non-existent
• अभाविनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण (of what is non-existent)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चय

• भावस्य: of being; of an existent thing
• भावस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• भावः: existence; being
• भावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्वापि: anywhere; ever
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूह; देश/कदाचित्-अर्थे (anywhere/ever)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध

• संभवेत्: could arise; would be possible
• संभवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भाविनः: of the existent / of what will be
• भाविनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषण (of what is to be/existent)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘even/also’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध

• अभावः: non-existence
• अभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore)

• मुह्यन्ति: are deluded
• मुह्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; enclitic; ‘of us/our’

• बुधाः: wise people
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śambhu (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled sages/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm philosophical assertion delivered in a teaching circle: the wise remain unconfused, depicted with steady gaze and composed posture, while symbolic forms of arising/ceasing swirl faintly around.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Budha (the wise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Clarity about the nature of arising and cessation dispels confusion; wisdom rests in understanding necessity and the limits of control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; within Kāśī Khaṇḍa it contributes to the liberating knowledge associated with Śiva’s city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a metaphysical statement aimed at removing delusion.