Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यावन्नैत्यायुषश्चांतस्तावत्काशी न मुच्यते । कालः कलालवस्यापि संख्यातुं नैव विस्मरेत्

Transliteration

yāvannaityāyuṣaścāṃtastāvatkāśī na mucyate | kālaḥ kalālavasyāpi saṃkhyātuṃ naiva vismaret

Translation

So long as the end of one’s allotted lifespan has not arrived, one should not let go of Kāśī. Time does not forget to count even the tiniest fractions—kalā and lava.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: ‘as long as’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• ऐत्यायुषः: of the finite (acquired) lifespan
• ऐत्यायुषः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘ऐत्यस्य आयुः’ = acquired/finite life-span)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्तः: end
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: ‘so long/that long’)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• मुच्यते: is relinquished/left
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कलालवस्य: of a kalā-lava (minute fraction of time)
• कलालवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• संख्यातुम्: to count/enumerate
• संख्यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• विस्मरेत्: should not forget
• विस्मरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim holding a staff stands firm before the Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara’s spire while Kāla is shown as a cosmic counter counting kalā and lava on a rosary/abacus—signifying time’s exactness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kāla (Time)
• Kalā
• Lava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is relentless and precise; therefore, maintain unwavering commitment to Kāśī and the pursuit of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), urged as a steadfast refuge until the end of life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is specified; the instruction is persistence in Kāśī-vāsa/resort to Kāśī without wavering.