Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

स कृत्वा क्षेत्रसंन्यासं त्यजेन्नाद्यापि काशिकाम् । तत्त्वं क्षेत्रस्य विज्ञाय निर्वाणपददायिनः

Transliteration

sa kṛtvā kṣetrasaṃnyāsaṃ tyajennādyāpi kāśikām | tattvaṃ kṣetrasya vijñāya nirvāṇapadadāyinaḥ

Translation

Having undertaken “renunciation unto the sacred kṣetra,” he did not abandon Kāśikā even to this day—having understood the true nature of that holy realm which bestows the state of nirvāṇa, liberation.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• क्षेत्रसंन्यासम्: renunciation of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रसंन्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य संन्यासः)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• काशिकाम्: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्त्वम्: the true nature/principle
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having understood)

• निर्वाणपददायिनः: of the giver of the state of liberation
• निर्वाणपददायिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणपदं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renouncer in Kāśī taking a vow of kṣetra-sannyāsa, seated facing a liṅga with the pañcākṣarī on lips, the ghāṭs and temple spires behind, conveying unshakable resolve to remain in the mokṣa-kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī/Varanasi)
• Vyāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a liberation-giving kṣetra; knowing its metaphysical truth inspires lifelong commitment to the dhāma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī / Vārāṇasī) itself as the mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-saṃnyāsa—taking a vow of renunciation dedicated to residing in/serving the holy kṣetra (as a sacred commitment).