Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतानि कालचिह्नानि संत्यन्यानि बहून्यपि । ज्ञात्वाभ्यसेन्नरो योगमथवाकाशिकां श्रयेत्

Transliteration

etāni kālacihnāni saṃtyanyāni bahūnyapi | jñātvābhyasennaro yogamathavākāśikāṃ śrayet

Translation

Tels sont les signes du Temps, présages de mort, et il en est bien d’autres. Les ayant connus, que l’homme s’exerce au yoga—ou bien qu’il prenne refuge en Kāśikā (Kāśī).

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• कालचिह्नानि: signs of time
• कालचिह्नानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य चिह्नानि)

• सन्ति: are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अभ्यसेत्: should practice
• अभ्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

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

• श्रयेत्: should resort to
• श्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective pilgrim, having recognized ominous signs of time, stands at a crossroads: one path of austere yoga practice, the other leading toward the luminous city of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Awareness of mortality should mature into practice: either disciplined yoga or wholehearted refuge in Kāśī, the liberating city of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) is explicitly presented as a shelter when death-portents arise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is sādhana: ‘practice yoga’ and/or ‘take refuge in Kāśī’ (pilgrimage/residence/surrender to its Lord).