Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अद्यैव वास्तुमरणं बहुकालांतरेपि वा । कलिकाल भिया पुंसां काशी त्याज्या न कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

adyaiva vāstumaraṇaṃ bahukālāṃtarepi vā | kalikāla bhiyā puṃsāṃ kāśī tyājyā na karhicit

Translation

Ob der Tod noch heute kommt oder erst nach langer Zeit: aus Furcht vor dem Kali-Zeitalter soll der Mensch Kāśī niemals verlassen.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today)

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

• वास्तु-मरणम्: death while residing (there) / death at home
• वास्तु-मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वास्तोः मरणम् / गृहत्याग-मरणम्)

• बहुकालान्तरे: after a long time
• बहुकालान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बहुकालस्य अन्तरे)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive ‘or’)

• कलिकाल-भिया: out of fear of the Kali age
• कलिकाल-भिया: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिकाल (प्रातिपदिक) + भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कलिकालस्य भिया)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• काशी: Kashi
• काशी: Karma (Predicate-nominal with gerundive/कर्मस्थ-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्याज्या: should be abandoned
• त्याज्या: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्/णीयत्-समूह; Gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be abandoned)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कर्हिचित्: ever/at any time
• कर्हिचित्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn on a Kāśī ghat contemplates mortality—today or far off—while dark, smoky symbols of Kali age swirl beyond the city; Kāśī shines as a protective mandala of light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kali-yuga (Kalikāla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, spiritual refuge is vital; Kāśī is upheld as a secure sanctuary for dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi), presented as the unfailing refuge even amid Kali-yuga’s decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the instruction is a dharmic resolve—do not give up residence/association with Kāśī.