Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मश्च त्यक्तव्यो न मनागपि । प्रत्यहं क्षेत्रमहिमा श्रोतव्यः श्रद्धया सकृत्

Transliteration

svavarṇāśramadharmaśca tyaktavyo na manāgapi | pratyahaṃ kṣetramahimā śrotavyaḥ śraddhayā sakṛt

Translation

Man soll die eigenen Pflichten von Varṇa und Āśrama nicht einmal im Geringsten aufgeben. Und täglich soll man mit Glauben wenigstens einmal die Größe des heiligen Kṣetra (Kāśī) vernehmen.

Word by Word

• स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मः: one's own varṇa-āśrama duty
• स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य वर्णाश्रमस्य धर्मः / स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• त्यक्तव्यः: should be abandoned
• त्यक्तव्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; त्यज् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय; अर्हार्थक (gerundive: 'to be abandoned')

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

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाणवाचक (a little)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-भाव (even)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन कालवाचक (daily)

• क्षेत्रमहिमा: the glory of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रमहिमा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + महिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य महिमा)

• श्रोतव्यः: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रोतव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; श्रु धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय; अर्हार्थक (gerundive: 'to be heard')

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक/परिमाणवाचक (once)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (mahimā-śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household pilgrim and an ascetic both listen to a paurāṇika reciting Kāśī-mahimā near a ghat; in the background, daily life duties continue—alms, service, and orderly conduct—showing harmony of dharma and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṣetra-mahimā
• Varṇāśrama-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s holiness supports dharma; it does not replace it—one should keep one’s duties and cultivate devotion through hearing the Mahātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the Kṣetra whose ‘mahimā’ is to be heard daily.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratyaha-śravaṇa: daily listening (at least once) to the Kṣetra-māhātmya, alongside steadfast observance of varṇāśrama-dharma.