Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

आप्रयागं प्रतिदिनं प्रयामः क्षुधिता वयम् । आहारकाम्यया क्वापि परं नो किंचिदाप्नुमः

Transliteration

āprayāgaṃ pratidinaṃ prayāmaḥ kṣudhitā vayam | āhārakāmyayā kvāpi paraṃ no kiṃcidāpnumaḥ

Translation

Hungry as we are, we wander each day as far as Prayāga, seeking food; yet we obtain nothing at all.

Word by Word

• आप्रयागम्: up to Prayāga
• आप्रयागम्: Adhikarana (Limit/अवधि-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (up to Prayāga); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• प्रतिदिनम्: daily
• प्रतिदिनम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (each day)

• प्रयामः: we go
• प्रयामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• क्षुधिताः: hungry
• क्षुधिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुध् (धातु) → क्षुधित (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Plural); 'वयम्' इति विशेषणम्

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आहारकाम्यया: due to desire for food
• आहारकाम्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: आहारस्य काम्या (desire for food)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere/anywhere)

• परम्: other / further
• परम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Singular); 'किंचित्' इति विशेषणम्

• नः: for us / of us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन (Plural)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम

• आप्नुमः: we obtain
• आप्नुमः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit), speaking to a sage within Skanda’s Kāśī narrative frame

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga (Prayāgarāja)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restlessness and craving do not yield fulfillment; the preta-state is shown as deprivation, urging dharmic living and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is mentioned as a major tīrtha within North Indian sacred geography, alongside the broader Kāśī narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse alludes to the theme of sustenance and merit connected with tīrtha-regions.