Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अतएवाहि पांडित्यमाद्रिंयते विचक्षणाः । अहःक्षेपं न क्षिपंति क्षणमेकं हि ते बुधाः

Transliteration

ataevāhi pāṃḍityamādriṃyate vicakṣaṇāḥ | ahaḥkṣepaṃ na kṣipaṃti kṣaṇamekaṃ hi te budhāḥ

Translation

C’est pourquoi les clairvoyants honorent le vrai savoir; les sages ne dissipent pas leurs jours—ils ne gaspillent pas même un seul instant.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal adverb: 'therefore/from this')

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अहि: for/indeed
• अहि: Emphasis/Reason (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (explanatory particle)

• पाण्डित्यम्: scholarship/learning
• पाण्डित्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आद्रियते: is respected/valued
• आद्रियते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular)

• विचक्षणाः: the discerning (people)
• विचक्षणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• अहःक्षेपम्: wasting of days
• अहःक्षेपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहः (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

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

• क्षिपन्ति: they throw away/waste
• क्षिपन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• क्षणम्: a moment
• क्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/explanatory particle)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun; Nominative, Plural)

• बुधाः: the wise
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / audience of the māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned sage in Kāśī instructs a pilgrim: a sundial/flowing river symbolizes time; the wise gather manuscripts and prayer beads, turning away from distractions at the ghāṭa.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual intelligence expresses itself as urgency in dharma—time is precious and should be invested in right living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-centered liberation teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the prescription is ethical—avoid time-wasting and prioritize dharma-oriented actions.