Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

जरया परिभूता ये ये व्याधिविकलीकृताः । येषां क्वापि गतिर्नास्ति तेषां वाराणसी गतिः

Transliteration

jarayā paribhūtā ye ye vyādhivikalīkṛtāḥ | yeṣāṃ kvāpi gatirnāsti teṣāṃ vārāṇasī gatiḥ

Translation

«Ceux que la vieillesse accable, ceux que la maladie rend infirmes et affaiblis—ceux qui n’ont nulle part où aller : pour eux, Vārāṇasī est le refuge.»

Word by Word

• जरया: by old age
• जरया: Karana/Agent-in-passive (by old age)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• परिभूताः: overpowered, afflicted
• परिभूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘परिभूत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनम्

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधक

• ये: who (indeed)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• व्याधिविकलीकृताः: made infirm by disease
• व्याधिविकलीकृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि + विकलीकृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; कृदन्त ‘विकलीकृत’ (PPP of वि-√कॢ/कॢ? in sense ‘to make deficient’ via denom. विकली-√कृ); ‘व्याधिना विकलीकृताः’ (made infirm by disease)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अनिश्चित (anywhere)

• गतिः: refuge
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

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

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तेषाम्: for them / of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचनम्

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• गतिः: refuge
• गतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (quoted saying; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame tradition: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Story interlocutor and Purāṇic audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elderly, bent pilgrim supported by a companion approaches the Ganga steps; a sick person rests near a shrine as bells ring—Kāśī appears as gentle, accepting refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Physical decline is met with sacred refuge: Kāśī is praised as a compassionate destination for those in suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is seeking Kāśī’s sacred protection through residence or pilgrimage.