Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वरं हि तिर्यक्त्वमबुद्धिवैभवं न मानवत्वं बहुबुद्धिभाजनम् । अकाशिसंदर्शननिष्फलोदयं समंततः पुष्करबुद्बुदोपमम्

Transliteration

varaṃ hi tiryaktvamabuddhivaibhavaṃ na mānavatvaṃ bahubuddhibhājanam | akāśisaṃdarśananiṣphalodayaṃ samaṃtataḥ puṣkarabudbudopamam

Translation

Better indeed is animal existence, lacking the treasure of intellect, than human birth—though endowed with much intelligence—if, through not beholding Kāśī, it rises to no fruitful end, being altogether like a bubble upon water.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Sambandha (Predicate particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया रूपेण निपातवत् (indeclinable usage: ‘better’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic)

• तिर्यक्त्वम्: animal existence
• तिर्यक्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state of being an animal)

• अबुद्धिवैभवम्: having the ‘splendor’ of non-intelligence
• अबुद्धिवैभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + वैभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—अबुद्धेः वैभवम्/वैभवयुक्तम् (नञ्-तत्पुरुष)

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

• मानवत्वम्: human state
• मानवत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित

• बहुबुद्धिभाजनम्: a receptacle of much intelligence
• बहुबुद्धिभाजनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—बह्वी बुद्धिः यस्मिन्/यस्य (बहु + बुद्धि) + भाजनम् (धारक)

• अकाशिसंदर्शननिष्फलोदयम्: whose rise is fruitless without seeing Kāśī
• अकाशिसंदर्शननिष्फलोदयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—काशी-दर्शनस्य निष्फलः उदयः यस्य (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; नञ्-पूर्वपद)

• समन्ततः: entirely
• समन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: on all sides/entirely)

• पुष्करबुद्बुदोपमम्: like a bubble on water
• पुष्करबुद्बुदोपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—पुष्करस्य बुद्बुद इव उपमम् (उपमान-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative contrast: a learned human surrounded by books and debate, yet shadowed by a dissolving water-bubble; in the distance Kāśī’s ghāṭas and Śiva’s shrine glow as the true goal.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human intelligence is meaningful when directed toward dharma and pilgrimage; Kāśī-darśana is presented as a pinnacle fulfilment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, whose darśana is said to make life fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: undertake Kāśī-darśana (pilgrimage/visitation) to make human life purposeful.