Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अविमुक्ते स्थिता ये तु मम भक्ता मुमुक्षवः । मानापमानयोस्तुल्याः समलोष्टाश्मकांचनाः

Transliteration

avimukte sthitā ye tu mama bhaktā mumukṣavaḥ | mānāpamānayostulyāḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanāḥ

Translation

Mais ceux de Mes dévots qui demeurent à Avimukta, aspirant à la délivrance—égaux dans l’honneur et le déshonneur, et pour qui motte de terre, pierre et or sont semblables—sont vraiment établis sur la voie de la libération.

Word by Word

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• स्थिताः: dwelling/standing
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्, विशेषण

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• भक्ताः: devotees
• भक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √भज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• मुमुक्षवः: desirous of liberation
• मुमुक्षवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुमुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक; √मुच्, सन्-इच्छार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (desiderative adjective)

• मानापमानयोः: of honor and dishonor
• मानापमानयोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान + अपमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (मानः च अपमानः च)

• तुल्याः: equal (towards)
• तुल्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• समलोष्टाश्मकांचनाः: to whom clod, stone, and gold are the same
• समलोष्टाश्मकांचनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + लोष्ट + अश्मन् + काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—येषां लोष्टः अश्मा काञ्चनं च समं (for whom clod, stone, gold are equal)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī Khaṇḍa context often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or Purāṇic interlocutor within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic-devotee in the lanes of Avimukta, unmoved by garlands or insults, with clod, stone, and gold placed before him as symbols of equal regard; Kāśī’s ghāṭs and a distant Viśveśvara spire frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kāśī/Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A liberation-seeker in Kāśī should cultivate equanimity—unmoved by praise or blame and unattached to wealth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra, the sacred heart of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on inner renunciation and sameness of vision.