Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

आत्मरक्षात्र कर्तव्या महाश्रेयोभिवृद्धये । अत्रात्म त्यजनोपायं मनसापि न चिंतयेत्

Transliteration

ātmarakṣātra kartavyā mahāśreyobhivṛddhaye | atrātma tyajanopāyaṃ manasāpi na ciṃtayet

Translation

Hier (in Kāśī) soll man sich selbst behüten, damit das höchste Heil wachse. Hier soll man nicht einmal im Geist an irgendein Mittel denken, den Körper aufzugeben (Selbstvernichtung).

Word by Word

• आत्म-रक्षा: self-protection
• आत्म-रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः रक्षा)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• कर्तव्या: must be done
• कर्तव्या: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; gerundive ‘to be done’ (agreeing with रक्षा)

• महा-श्रेयः-अभिवृद्धये: for the increase of great good
• महा-श्रेयः-अभिवृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महच्च तत् श्रेयः) + षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध (श्रेयसः अभिवृद्धिः) → ‘for the increase of great welfare’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• आत्म: self
• आत्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (आत्मानम्) sandhi/poetic truncation

• त्यजन-उपायम्: means of abandoning (it)
• त्यजन-उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्यजन (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्-ल्युट्/भाव) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्यजनस्य उपायः)

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• चिन्तयेत्: should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should think/consider’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate teacher gestures ‘do not’ as a pilgrim stands at a ghat edge; Viśvanātha temple rises behind, signaling that Kāśī’s grace supports life-affirming dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s path to the highest good requires preserving life and rejecting self-harm, even in thought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, framed as a sacred field where life is to be protected for spiritual flourishing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: practice self-protection and do not consider any act intended to abandon the body.