Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

पुनरत्रैव निवसञ्ज्ञानं प्राप्स्यत्यनुत्तमम् । तेन ज्ञानेथ संप्राप्ते मोक्षमाप्स्यत्यनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

punaratraiva nivasañjñānaṃ prāpsyatyanuttamam | tena jñānetha saṃprāpte mokṣamāpsyatyanuttamam

Translation

やがて再びここに住して、無上の智を得る。その智を得たならば、無上の解脱（モークシャ）に至る。

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (again)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• निवसन्: dwelling (while living)
• निवसन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु) → निवसत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्राप्स्यति: will attain
• प्राप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ज्ञानम्)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; 'by that/thereby'

• ज्ञाने: in/with knowledge
• ज्ञाने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• इथ: then
• इथ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनुक्रमार्थक-अव्यय (here: then/thereupon)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it is) attained
• संप्राप्ते: Sati-saptami (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आप्स्यति: will attain
• आप्स्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (मोक्षम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A redeemed being returning to Kāśī: seated near the Gaṅgā at dawn, receiving instruction (upadeśa) from a serene ascetic/Śiva-symbolic presence; a subtle light rising from the heart signifying ‘anuttama jñāna’, culminating in a luminous release (mokṣa).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• jñāna
• mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī ultimately leads the soul toward jñāna and mokṣa; even after suffering, return to the kṣetra can culminate in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī, praised as a mokṣa-bestowing sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; the implied discipline is continued residence/devotion in Kāśī leading to spiritual knowledge.