Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

अशाश्वतमिदं ज्ञात्वा मानुष्यं बहुकिल्विषम् । अविमुक्तं सदा सेव्यं संसारभयमोचकम्

Transliteration

aśāśvatamidaṃ jñātvā mānuṣyaṃ bahukilviṣam | avimuktaṃ sadā sevyaṃ saṃsārabhayamocakam

Translation

Knowing this human state to be impermanent and burdened with many faults, one should always resort to Avimukta (Kāśī), the liberator from the fear of saṃsāra.

Word by Word

• अशाश्वतम्: impermanent, non-eternal
• अशाश्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; pronoun)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having known)

• मानुष्यम्: human life/state
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• बहुकिल्विषम्: full of many sins
• बहुकिल्विषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + किल्विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बहूनि किल्विषाणि यस्मिन्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; genitive-tatpurusha)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-नाम (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; name of the sacred place Avimukta/Kāśī)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सेव्यम्: should be served/visited
• सेव्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be served/should be served)

• संसारभयमोचकम्: remover of fear of saṃsāra
• संसारभयमोचकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + मोचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य भयस्य मोचकः) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; genitive-tatpurusha)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim, aware of life’s impermanence, approaches the luminous Avimukta-kṣetra; Śiva’s unseen protection is suggested through sacred light over ghāṭas and liṅgas.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because human life is impermanent and morally fraught, one should seek a liberating refuge—Avimukta (Kāśī)—to overcome fear of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta, the sacred heart of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as a place oriented toward liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction to ‘serve/resort to’ Avimukta—i.e., live there, visit with devotion, and practice worship and discipline in that sacred kṣetra.