Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

प्रयागादपि तीर्थाग्र्यादविमुक्तं विशिष्यते । यथाविमुक्ते निर्वाणं न तथाक्वाप्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

prayāgādapi tīrthāgryādavimuktaṃ viśiṣyate | yathāvimukte nirvāṇaṃ na tathākvāpyasaṃśayam

Translation

Even beyond Prayāga, the foremost of tīrthas, Avimukta is more exalted. For nirvāṇa is attained in Avimukta as nowhere else—of this there is no doubt.

Word by Word

• प्रयागात्: than/from Prayāga
• प्रयागात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान/तुलना

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• तीर्थाग्र्यात्: than the foremost tīrtha
• तीर्थाग्र्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थेषु अग्र्यम्)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished / excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śiṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि—'excels/is distinguished'

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• निर्वाणम्: nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तथा: so / in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/so)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (anywhere)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeed/without doubt)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within the chapter (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Avimukta-Kāśī at sunrise: Gaṅgā ghāṭas, Viśvanātha temple spire, pilgrims bathing; above, Śiva’s subtle presence blessing the city, suggesting nirvāṇa as a luminous stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga (Prayāgraj)
• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Avimukta is proclaimed the supreme mokṣa-kṣetra, uniquely associated with nirvāṇa beyond even the greatest tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta (the sacred Kāśī-kṣetra of Vārāṇasī), explicitly ranked above Prayāga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse is a definitive sthala-māhātmya claim about liberation in Avimukta.