Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ये वसंति सदा काश्यां क्षेत्रसंन्यासकारिणः । त एव रुद्रा मंतव्या जीवन्मुक्ता न संशयः

Transliteration

ye vasaṃti sadā kāśyāṃ kṣetrasaṃnyāsakāriṇaḥ | ta eva rudrā maṃtavyā jīvanmuktā na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ceux qui demeurent toujours à Kāśī, adoptant le renoncement au sein du champ sacré (kṣetra-saṃnyāsa), doivent être tenus pour des Rudra eux-mêmes ; ils sont libérés de leur vivant, sans aucun doute.

Word by Word

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

• वसन्ति: live/dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘always’

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रसंन्यासकारिणः: practitioners of renunciation in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रसंन्यासकारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—क्षेत्रे संन्यासं कुर्वन्ति (those who practice renunciation in the sacred field)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निर्देशक (correlative pronoun)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) — अवधारण (indeed/only)

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Predicative (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मन्तव्याः: to be considered (as)
• मन्तव्याः: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) + तव्य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (कर्तव्य/तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘विचार्याः/गन्तव्याः’ इत्यर्थे—‘to be regarded as’

• जीवन्मुक्ताः: liberated while living
• जीवन्मुक्ताः: Predicative (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त/वर्तमान कृदन्त) + मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—जीवन् एव मुक्तः (liberated while living)

• न: no/not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वाक्ये ‘न संशयः’ इति स्थिरप्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī-dwelling renunciant (kṣetra-saṃnyāsin) seated near a shrine, ash-marked, serene; behind him, a subtle Rudra aura or multiple Rudra forms indicating ‘they are Rudras’.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-vāsa with genuine renunciation is exalted as Śiva-like (Rudra) and conducive to jīvanmukti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), revered as Śiva’s own kṣetra where renunciation bears extraordinary fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is a life-practice: sustained residence in Kāśī with kṣetra-saṃnyāsa (holy-field renunciation).