Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव वर्णानामाश्रमाणां च धर्मिणाम् । तस्मात्तनुविसर्गेत्र मोक्षं दास्यति नान्यथा

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva varṇānāmāśramāṇāṃ ca dharmiṇām | tasmāttanuvisargetra mokṣaṃ dāsyati nānyathā

Translation

Pour tous les justes—de toute varṇa et de tout āśrama—ainsi, au moment de quitter ici le corps, cela accorde la délivrance, et non autrement.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; सर्व-विशेषणम् (of all)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• वर्णानाम्: of the social classes (varṇas)
• वर्णानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (वर्ण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• आश्रमाणाम्: of the life-stages (āśramas)
• आश्रमाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (आश्रम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• धर्मिणाम्: of the righteous (observers of dharma)
• धर्मिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मिन् (धर्मिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचनम्; धर्मयुक्तानाम् (of the righteous/observant)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (तद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् = तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम्, हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (ablative used adverbially: therefore/from that reason)

• तनु-विसर्गे: at the casting off of the body (at death)
• तनु-विसर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (तनु-प्रातिपदिक) + विसर्ग (विसर्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तन्वाः विसर्गः = देहत्यागः)

• त्र: here/there (in that context)
• त्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/there)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (मोक्ष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• दास्यति: will give
• दास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (दा-धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene vision of Kāśī at twilight: the Gaṅgā flowing past ghāṭas, cremation fires in the distance, and a calm Śaiva presence indicating liberation at deha-tyāga for all dhārmikas.

Characters & Entities

• Varṇa
• Āśrama
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred space is presented as universally accessible for dhārmic seekers, culminating in liberation at life’s end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakuṇḍa/Kāśī sacred zone where death (tanuvisarga) is said to be liberating.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse stresses the liberating condition of dying here (tanuvisarga); it presumes dhārmic living across varṇa and āśrama.