Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अद्यैव वास्तुमरणं बहुकालांतरेपि वा । कलिकाल भिया पुंसां काशी त्याज्या न कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

adyaiva vāstumaraṇaṃ bahukālāṃtarepi vā | kalikāla bhiyā puṃsāṃ kāśī tyājyā na karhicit

Translation

Que la mort vienne aujourd’hui même ou après un long temps, par crainte de l’âge de Kali, nul ne doit jamais abandonner Kāśī.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today)

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

• वास्तु-मरणम्: death while residing (there) / death at home
• वास्तु-मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वास्तोः मरणम् / गृहत्याग-मरणम्)

• बहुकालान्तरे: after a long time
• बहुकालान्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बहुकालस्य अन्तरे)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive ‘or’)

• कलिकाल-भिया: out of fear of the Kali age
• कलिकाल-भिया: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिकाल (प्रातिपदिक) + भी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कलिकालस्य भिया)

• पुंसाम्: of men/people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• काशी: Kashi
• काशी: Karma (Predicate-nominal with gerundive/कर्मस्थ-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्याज्या: should be abandoned
• त्याज्या: Kriya (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्/णीयत्-समूह; Gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (should be abandoned)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कर्हिचित्: ever/at any time
• कर्हिचित्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn on a Kāśī ghat contemplates mortality—today or far off—while dark, smoky symbols of Kali age swirl beyond the city; Kāśī shines as a protective mandala of light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kali-yuga (Kalikāla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, spiritual refuge is vital; Kāśī is upheld as a secure sanctuary for dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi), presented as the unfailing refuge even amid Kali-yuga’s decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the instruction is a dharmic resolve—do not give up residence/association with Kāśī.