Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

परार्धद्वयनाशेपि काशीस्थो यो न नश्यति । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन काश्यां श्रेयः समाचरेत्

Transliteration

parārdhadvayanāśepi kāśīstho yo na naśyati | tasmātsarvaprayatnena kāśyāṃ śreyaḥ samācaret

Translation

Even when two parārdhas are destroyed in vast cosmic dissolution, the one who abides in Kāśī does not perish. Therefore, with every effort, one should pursue the highest good in Kāśī.

Word by Word

• परार्ध: the latter half
• परार्ध: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद; कर्मधारय (परम् अर्धम्)

• द्वय: two
• द्वय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (द्वय- = twofold)

• नाशे: in the destruction
• नाशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमीविभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (परार्ध-द्वय-नाशे)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारक अव्यय (even/also)

• काशीस्थः: one who resides in Kāśī
• काशीस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सप्तमीतत्पुरुष (काश्याम् स्थितः)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• नश्यति: perishes
• नश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित/प्रयोगतः अव्ययीभाववत्; हेत्वर्थे (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; (सर्व-प्रयत्नेन = समास)

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

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• समाचरेत्: should practice/undertake
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु) + सम् + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Against a dissolving cosmos, Kāśī stands luminous and untouched: ghāṭas and temples glowing; a protective aura around the kṣetra; pilgrims with folded hands moving toward Viśveśvara, embodying ‘sarva-prayatna’ (total effort).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as spiritually ‘non-perishing’; thus one should strive for liberation-oriented dharma there with full commitment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as enduring in spiritual efficacy even across cosmic destructions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: ‘practice śreyas in Kāśī’—i.e., undertake liberation-focused conduct (devotion, purity, restraint) while residing there.