Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अविमुक्ते महाक्षेत्रे सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे सताम् । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य रत्नानां परमाकरे

Transliteration

avimukte mahākṣetre sarvasiddhiprade satām | dharmārthakāmamokṣākhya ratnānāṃ paramākare

Translation

«Dans Avimukta, le grand domaine sacré qui accorde toute siddhi aux justes, se trouve la mine suprême de joyaux nommés Dharma, Artha, Kāma et Mokṣa».

Word by Word

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in Avimukta/Kāśī)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्’

• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे: in (that) which grants all siddhis
• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वासां सिद्धीनां प्रदः’ (giver of all attainments)

• सताम्: of the virtuous
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of the good/virtuous’

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य: called dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘धर्मार्थकाममोक्ष इति आख्या यस्य’ (named as dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa)

• रत्नानाम्: of jewels
• रत्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• परमाकरे: in the supreme mine/treasury
• परमाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘परमश्चासौ आकारः/आकरः’ (supreme mine/treasury)

Speaker

Garga

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Mahākṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Damanā and assembled disciples

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction of Avimukta as a radiant city-field: temples and ghāṭas, Śiva-liṅgas, pilgrims; above it, symbolic ‘jewels’ labeled Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa shining like gems in a mine.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Avimukta is extolled as a uniquely potent sacred geography where all four human aims culminate, especially mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī/Varanasi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse is a sthala-māhātmya proclamation of Avimukta’s power.