Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अहो वराकः संसारः क्व भविष्यत्यनीश्वरः । आरभ्याद्यदिनं न त्वामर्चयिष्यंति केपि यत्

Transliteration

aho varākaḥ saṃsāraḥ kva bhaviṣyatyanīśvaraḥ | ārabhyādyadinaṃ na tvāmarcayiṣyaṃti kepi yat

Translation

Alas—how wretched is worldly existence! Where can it stand without the Lord? For from this very day, if people do not worship You at all, what refuge will remain?

Word by Word

• aho: alas!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection)

• varākaḥ: wretched
• varākaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• saṃsāraḥ: worldly existence
• saṃsāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• kva: how/where
• kva: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where/how)

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• anīśvaraḥ: without a lord; helpless
• anīśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष-भावः (prefixal negation), विशेषणम्

• ārabhya: starting from
• ārabhya: Sambandha (Temporal marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√rabh (धातु) → ārabhya (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund): 'beginning from'

• adya: today
• adya: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

• dinam: day
• dinam: Karma (Extent of time/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकम्

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

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• arcayiṣyanti: will worship
• arcayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• ke: who (anyone)
• ke: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; प्रश्न/अनिश्चितार्थे (who/any)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• yat: since/that
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative pronoun: 'since/that')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at a Kāśī ghāṭa at dawn, hands folded, seeing the turbulent river as saṃsāra; above, the Lord’s presence as a steady light. People who neglect worship appear as drifting figures without a boat; worshippers hold a lamp and rosary, finding direction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahākāla
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without devotion to Īśvara (Śiva), saṃsāra remains miserable and directionless; worship is presented as the sustaining refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting, where worship of Mahākāla/Śiva is upheld as paramount.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Śiva is implied—regular reverence as a daily dharmic anchor.