Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नानायोनि निवासं च वियोगं च प्रियैः सह । अप्रियैः सह संयोगमधर्माद्दुःखसंभवम्

Transliteration

nānāyoni nivāsaṃ ca viyogaṃ ca priyaiḥ saha | apriyaiḥ saha saṃyogamadharmādduḥkhasaṃbhavam

Translation

अनेक योनियों में निवास, प्रियजनों से वियोग, अप्रिय जनों से संयोग, और अधर्म से उत्पन्न होने वाला दुःख—

Word by Word

• नानायोनि: in various births/species
• नानायोनि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (निवासम् इति विशेषणम्) — Feminine/compound-stem used adjectivally; 'various wombs/species'

• निवासम्: dwelling
• निवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• वियोगम्: separation
• वियोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• प्रियैः: with loved ones
• प्रियैः: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine Instrumental Plural (used with सह)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Accompaniment marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (postposition/adverb)

• अप्रियैः: with the unloved (disliked people)
• अप्रियैः: Sahartha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + प्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine Instrumental Plural (used with सह)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Accompaniment marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (postposition/adverb)

• संयोगम्: association
• संयोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• अधर्मात्: from unrighteousness
• अधर्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + धर्म)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Ablative Singular

• दुःखसंभवम्: resulting in suffering
• दुःखसंभवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (संयोगम् इति) — Masculine Accusative Singular; 'having suffering as its result/origin'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage of beings in different yonis—human, animal, celestial—intercut with scenes of lovers/family parting, and a reluctant meeting with hostile figures; a seeker stands apart, turning toward a distant Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra
• Dharma/Adharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃsāra is characterized by instability—separation and unwanted bonds—while adharma is singled out as a root cause of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred locus of instruction in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though not named in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse promotes dharmic living and detachment as the path away from suffering.