Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

मृत्युं विज्ञाय नियतं गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम् । अवश्यं काशिका सेव्या सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी

Transliteration

mṛtyuṃ vijñāya niyataṃ gatikarmānusāriṇīm | avaśyaṃ kāśikā sevyā sarvakarmanivāriṇī

Translation

死が定めであり、行き先（gati）が業（karma）に随うと知るなら、必ずカ―シカー（Kāśikā／Kāśī）に仕え、そこに帰依すべきである。彼女は一切の業の束縛を除き去るから。

Word by Word

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having understood/known’

• नियम्: certain; fixed
• नियम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मृत्युम्)

• गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम्: that which follows one’s destiny and deeds
• गतिकर्मानुसारिणीम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गति-कर्म-अनुसारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; गति + कर्मन् + अनुसारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गतेः कर्मणश्च अनुसारिणी); विशेषण (implicit: गतिम्/स्थितिम्)

• अवश्यम्: certainly
• अवश्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• काशिका: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• काशिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सेव्या: should be served/visited
• सेव्या: Predicate obligation (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Gerundive: ‘to be served/visited’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय

• सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी: removing all karmas
• सर्वकर्मनिवारिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-कर्म-निवारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + कर्मन् + निवारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वकर्मणां निवारिणी); विशेषण (काशिका)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, aware of mortality, approaches Kāśī with resolve; the city appears as a radiant sanctuary where karmic chains fall away—symbolized by broken fetters near the ghāṭa steps and a distant Viśveśvara spire.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśikā (Kāśī)
• Karma
• Mṛtyu
• Gati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because death is certain and karma shapes destiny, one should take refuge in Kāśī, praised as a power that nullifies karmic bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśikā (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

“Sevā” (service/resort) to Kāśī is prescribed—implying pilgrimage, residence, worship, and devotional engagement in the kṣetra.