Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

परित्यज्य हि यः सर्वं विप्णुमेकं सदा भजेत् । सुमेधसं भजंते तं पदार्थाः सर्व एव हि

Transliteration

parityajya hi yaḥ sarvaṃ vipṇumekaṃ sadā bhajet | sumedhasaṃ bhajaṃte taṃ padārthāḥ sarva eva hi

Translation

Indeed, one who sets aside all else and continually worships Viṣṇu alone—one of noble, wise mind—finds that every attainment comes to serve him.

Word by Word

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: त्यज् (to abandon) उपसर्ग: परि-; क्रियाविशेषणभावेन (adverbial)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक (indeed/for)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• विप्णुम्: Vishnu
• विप्णुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एकम्: the one (alone)
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णुम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• भजेत्: should worship
• भजेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: भज् (to worship/serve)

• सुमेधसम्: the wise/intelligent one
• सुमेधसम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: सु + मेधस् (good + intelligence)

• भजन्ते: worship/serve
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पदार्थाः: objects/meanings (of words)
• पदार्थाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषसमास: पदस्य अर्थाः (meanings/things signified by words)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पदार्थाः)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक

Speaker

Nārada (continuing speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī turns away from scattered worldly objects and fixes gaze on Viṣṇu; symbolic ‘attainments’ (artha, kāma, dharma, mokṣa) personified as attendants offering service.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion to Viṣṇu harmonizes life so that all legitimate goals naturally align and are fulfilled.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it is a general bhakti teaching within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous bhajana (devotional worship) of Viṣṇu alone is prescribed as the main practice.