Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा कैलासमेनं त्वं वाराणस्यां तपः कुरु । मया स्थानमिदं दत्तं कैलासं स्वसुतस्य च

Transliteration

tyaktvā kailāsamenaṃ tvaṃ vārāṇasyāṃ tapaḥ kuru | mayā sthānamidaṃ dattaṃ kailāsaṃ svasutasya ca

Translation

Quitte ce Kailāsa et accomplis l’austérité (tapas) à Vārāṇasī. Cette demeure—Kailāsa—je l’ai accordée aussi à mon propre fils.

Word by Word

• tyaktvā: having left
• tyaktvā: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘त्यक्त्वा’ (having abandoned)

• kailāsam: Kailāsa
• kailāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• enam: this one, him
• enam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), मध्यम-पुरुषार्थ (2nd person)

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• kuru: do, perform
• kuru: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), एकवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), उत्तम-पुरुषार्थ (1st person)

• sthānam: place, abode
• sthānam: Karma (Object implied with ‘dattam’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), विशेषणत्वे

• dattam: given
• dattam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘दत्त’ (given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative)

• kailāsam: Kailāsa
• kailāsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• sva-sutasya: of (his) own son
• sva-sutasya: Sambandha (Recipient/possessor relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव): ‘स्वः सुतः’/‘स्वस्य सुतस्य’ (of (his/one’s) own son), पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Adhaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine command scene: the addressee is instructed to leave Kailāsa and perform austerities in Vārāṇasī; Kailāsa is declared granted to the speaker’s son, implying a transfer of residence/authority.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsa
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual authority is linked with tapas and sacred place: Vārāṇasī is presented as a potent field for austerity and transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is explicitly invoked as the place for performing tapas; Kailāsa is referenced as the divine abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) in Vārāṇasī is prescribed.