Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अत्र यत्क्रियते क्षेत्रे शुभं वाऽशुभमेव वा । संवर्तेपि न तस्यांतस्तस्माच्छ्रेयः समाचरेत्

Transliteration

atra yatkriyate kṣetre śubhaṃ vā'śubhameva vā | saṃvartepi na tasyāṃtastasmācchreyaḥ samācaret

Translation

Tout ce qui est accompli dans ce kṣetra (Kāśī), qu’il soit propice ou même néfaste, n’épuise pas son fruit, fût-ce au temps de la dissolution cosmique. C’est pourquoi il faut y pratiquer avec ardeur ce qui est réellement salutaire et conforme au dharma.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• शुभम्: merit, auspicious (deed/result)
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कर्मरूपेण)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अशुभम्: demerit, inauspicious (deed/result)
• अशुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात

• संवर्ते: at the dissolution (cosmic end)
• संवर्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; (प्रलयकाले)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; (यत्कर्मणः)

• अन्तः: end, limit
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• श्रेयः: the better (good), welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कल्याणम्)

• समाचरेत्: one should practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general statement)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim in Kāśī stands at a ghat, seeing the city as an eternal kṣetra beyond cosmic cycles; above, a subtle vision of saṃvarta (cosmic dissolution) contrasts with the undiminished moral imprint of deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṣetra (holy field)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, actions are spiritually weighty; therefore one should consciously choose dharma and the highest good (śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole is praised as the supreme Kṣetra where deeds carry extraordinary spiritual consequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction: practice śreyas (righteous, spiritually beneficial conduct) while in the holy field.