Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वार्षिकांश्चतुरोमासान्विहरेन्न यतिः क्वचित् । बीजांकुराणां जंतूनां हिंसा तत्र यतो भवेत्

Transliteration

vārṣikāṃścaturomāsānviharenna yatiḥ kvacit | bījāṃkurāṇāṃ jaṃtūnāṃ hiṃsā tatra yato bhavet

Translation

Durant les quatre mois de la saison des pluies, le yati ne doit errer nulle part, car alors la hiṃsā envers les germes des graines et les petits êtres est à craindre.

Word by Word

• वार्षिकान्: annual (ones)
• वार्षिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masculine, accusative, plural; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (masculine, accusative, plural; numeral adjective)

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, accusative, plural)

• विहरेत्: should roam/spend (time)
• विहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विहर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

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

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-वाचक अव्यय (adverb: at any place/any time)

• बीजाङ्कुराणाम्: of seed-sprouts
• बीजाङ्कुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज + अङ्कुर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (genitive, plural; neuter); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (seed-sprouts)

• जन्तूनाम्: of living beings
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive, plural)

• हिंसा: harm/violence
• हिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• तत्र: there/then
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there/in that case)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-वाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/for)

• भवेत्: might occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (traditional)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A saffron-clad renunciant halts travel during monsoon, seated under a simple shelter near a Kāśī lane/ghāṭ, watching sprouting grass and tiny creatures, embodying non-violence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yati (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-violence is protected by restraint: limiting travel in the rains reduces unintended harm to living beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, presenting Kāśī as a place where yati-dharma is carefully observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of the four-month rainy-season discipline (cāturmāsya) by avoiding wandering.