Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

संसारदुःखबहुलं जीवितं चापि चंचलम् । विज्ञाय दमनो विद्वान्निर्जगाम गृहान्निजात्

Transliteration

saṃsāraduḥkhabahulaṃ jīvitaṃ cāpi caṃcalam | vijñāya damano vidvānnirjagāma gṛhānnijāt

Translation

Reconnaissant, le savant Damana, que la vie dans le saṃsāra est pleine de souffrance et que l’existence est vacillante, il quitta sa demeure.

Word by Word

• संसारदुःखबहुलम्: full of the sorrows of saṃsāra
• संसारदुःखबहुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (संसारे दुःखं बहुलं यस्मिन्)

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• चञ्चलम्: unstable
• चञ्चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund)

• दमनः: Damana
• दमनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्वान्: a learned man
• विद्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्जगाम: went forth/left
• निर्जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• निजात्: from his own
• निजात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गृहात् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Damana, thoughtful and composed, stands at the threshold of his home, looking outward with detachment; behind him household comforts fade, ahead lies an open road with distant hermitages and rivers hinted in the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Damana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Clear insight into the instability of life gives rise to vairāgya (dispassion) and the courage to seek liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named here; it sets the renunciatory motivation that leads to tīrtha-seeking.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes inner discernment (viveka) as the driver of dharmic action.