Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24
Devanagari script
मरणं नाभिकांक्षेद्धि कांक्ष्यो मोक्षोऽपिनो पुनः । शरीरशोषणोपायः कर्तव्यः सुधिया नहि
Transliteration
maraṇaṃ nābhikāṃkṣeddhi kāṃkṣyo mokṣo'pino punaḥ | śarīraśoṣaṇopāyaḥ kartavyaḥ sudhiyā nahi
Translation
死を願ってはならない。ましてや執着して解脱を求めてもならない。賢者は、身を痩せ衰えさせ、あるいは苦しめるような行法をなすべきではない。
Word by Word
मरणम्death
मरणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमरण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; abstract noun (death)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
अभिकाङ्क्षेत्should desire
अभिकाङ्क्षेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-√काङ्क्ष् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should desire/seek’
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic/causal particle)
काङ्क्ष्यःdesirable
काङ्क्ष्यः:
Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाङ्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक; √काङ्क्ष्-सम्भव)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘to be desired’ (gerundive sense)
मोक्षःliberation
मोक्षः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
उindeed
उ:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउ (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphasis/indeed)
पुनःagain
पुनः:
Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (again/further)
शरीर-शोषण-उपायःmeans of drying/emaciating the body
शरीर-शोषण-उपायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + शोषण (प्रातिपदिक; √शुष्-णिच्/भाव) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शरीरस्य शोषणस्य उपायः)
कर्तव्यःshould be done
कर्तव्यः:
Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Root√कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formकृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; gerundive ‘to be done’
सुधियाby a wise person / with good understanding
सुधिया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसु-धी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु + धी) ‘good intellect’; instrumental ‘by/with’
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic particle)
Speaker
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)
Characters & Entities
K
Kāśī (implied by context)FAQs
Spiritual life in Kāśī is not escapism; avoid craving for death or liberation and avoid harmful austerities.
Kāśī in the broader discourse, where even the pursuit of mokṣa is to be tempered with wisdom.
A prohibition: do not adopt practices aimed at bodily desiccation/torment; cultivate wise restraint instead.