Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

मृत्युं विज्ञाय नियतं गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम् । अवश्यं काशिका सेव्या सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी

Transliteration

mṛtyuṃ vijñāya niyataṃ gatikarmānusāriṇīm | avaśyaṃ kāśikā sevyā sarvakarmanivāriṇī

Translation

Knowing that death is certain, and that one’s destiny (gati) follows karma, Kāśikā (Kāśī) must surely be served and resorted to—for she removes the bondage of all karma.

Word by Word

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having understood/known’

• नियम्: certain; fixed
• नियम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मृत्युम्)

• गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम्: that which follows one’s destiny and deeds
• गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गति-कर्म-अनुसारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; गति + कर्मन् + अनुसारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गतेः कर्मणश्च अनुसारिणी); विशेषण (implicit: गतिम्/स्थितिम्)

• अवश्यम्: certainly
• अवश्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• काशिका: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सेव्या: should be served/visited
• सेव्या: Predicate obligation (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive: ‘to be served/visited’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय

• सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी: removing all karmas
• सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-कर्म-निवारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + कर्मन् + निवारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वकर्मणां निवारिणी); विशेषण (काशिका)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, aware of mortality, approaches Kāśī with resolve; the city appears as a radiant sanctuary where karmic chains fall away—symbolized by broken fetters near the ghāṭa steps and a distant Viśveśvara spire.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Karma
• Mṛtyu
• Gati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because death is certain and karma shapes destiny, one should take refuge in Kāśī, praised as a power that nullifies karmic bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

“Sevā” (service/resort) to Kāśī is prescribed—implying pilgrimage, residence, worship, and devotional engagement in the kṣetra.