Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्योनिगताः सत्त्वा ये विमुक्तकृतालयाः । कालेन निधनं प्राप्तास्तेपि यांति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

tiryagyonigatāḥ sattvā ye vimuktakṛtālayāḥ | kālena nidhanaṃ prāptāstepi yāṃti parāṃ gatim

Translation

Even beings born in animal wombs—if they have made their dwelling in Vimukta (Avimukta)—when in due time they meet death, they too attain the highest state.

Word by Word

• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: gone into animal wombs (born as animals)
• तिर्यग्योनिगताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (तिर्यग्योनिषु गताः) (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• सत्त्वाः: beings
• सत्त्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• विमुक्तकृतालयाः: those who have made their abode in Vimukta (Kāśī)
• विमुक्तकृतालयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (विमुक्ते कृतः आलयः येषाम्) बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; used possessively)

• कालेन: by time, in due course
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• प्राप्ताः: having reached (met with)
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘प्राप्ताः’ = having attained/reached

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• यान्ति: go, attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd person, plural)

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; गतिम् इति विशेषण (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• गतिम्: state/destination
• गतिम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimukta/Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Animals living near Kāśī’s ghāṭas and temples—cows, dogs, birds—are shown within a sanctifying aura; at death, a gentle ascent toward light symbolizes ‘parā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Vimukta (Avimukta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Avimukta is depicted as so powerful that even non-human beings associated with it can reach the supreme goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vimukta/Avimukta in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on residing in/being connected to the sacred kṣetra as the decisive factor.