Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

निर्वाणलक्ष्मीं यः कांक्षेत्त्यक्त्वा संसारदुर्गतिम् । तेन काशी न संत्याज्या यद्याप्तैशादनुग्रहात्

Transliteration

nirvāṇalakṣmīṃ yaḥ kāṃkṣettyaktvā saṃsāradurgatim | tena kāśī na saṃtyājyā yadyāptaiśādanugrahāt

Translation

Quiconque aspire à la fortune du nirvāṇa, renonçant au sentier âpre du saṃsāra—celui-là ne doit pas abandonner Kāśī, si vraiment il l’a obtenue par la grâce du Seigneur.

Word by Word

• nirvāṇa-lakṣmīm: the fortune/bliss of nirvāṇa
• nirvāṇa-lakṣmīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirvāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (nirvāṇasya lakṣmīḥ)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kāṃkṣet: should desire
• kāṃkṣet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kāṅkṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having abandoned’

• saṃsāra-durgatim: the bad course/misery of saṃsāra
• saṃsāra-durgatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + durgati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (saṃsārasya durgatiḥ)

• tena: therefore/by that (reason)
• tena: Hetu/Karana (Means/Reason/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kāśī: Kāśī
• kāśī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• saṃtyājyā: to be abandoned
• saṃtyājyā: Pratipādya (Predicate adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘kāśī’ इत्यस्य विधेयविशेषणम्

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional conjunction)

• āptaiḥ: by trusted ones/elders
• āptaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘āpta’ = प्रिय/सुहृद् (trusted ones)

• āśāt: from hope/expectation
• āśāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• anugrahāt: from favor/grace
• anugrahāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sādhaka seated near Gaṅgā with Kāśī’s temples behind; above, a subtle hand of Śiva (grace) bestowing a luminous ‘nirvāṇa-lakṣmī’ aura—depicted as calm radiance, not worldly wealth.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Īśa (the Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If liberation is the goal, one should not abandon the sacred support of Kāśī, especially when it is gained by divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, presented as a providentially obtained place conducive to nirvāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the emphasis is on steadfastness in a liberating sacred place.