Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इदं तु परमाख्यानं शृणुयाद्यः समाहितः । स्वर्लोकमभिगम्याथ काश्यां निर्वाणमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

idaṃ tu paramākhyānaṃ śṛṇuyādyaḥ samāhitaḥ | svarlokamabhigamyātha kāśyāṃ nirvāṇamāpnuyāt

Translation

But whoever, with a collected mind, listens to this supreme sacred account—having reached Svarga thereafter, he attains liberation in Kāśī.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• परमाख्यानम्: the supreme narrative
• परमाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमं च तत् आख्यानम्)

• शृणुयात्: should listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• समाहितः: composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः)

• स्वर्लोकम्: Svarga-world
• स्वर्लोकम्: Karma (Goal as object/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर् + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वरस्य लोकः)

• अभिगम्य: having reached
• अभिगम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययीभाव-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having reached)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

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

• निर्वाणम्: liberation
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee listening with focused mind to a sacred narration; above, a symbolic ascent to Svarga, and finally a luminous Kāśī with a mokṣa-flame/effulgence motif indicating nirvāṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Svarloka (Svarga)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to sacred Māhātmya generates merit leading ultimately to liberation associated with Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified as the place where nirvāṇa is attained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening (śravaṇa) to the ‘supreme narrative’ with focused attention is prescribed as a merit-generating practice.