Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

देहेष्वनित्यतां दृष्ट्वा नित्यता परमात्मनः । कुर्वीत मुक्तये यत्नं यत्रयत्राश्रमे रतः

Transliteration

deheṣvanityatāṃ dṛṣṭvā nityatā paramātmanaḥ | kurvīta muktaye yatnaṃ yatrayatrāśrame rataḥ

Translation

ದೇಹಗಳ ಅನಿತ್ಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ಪರಮಾತ್ಮನ ನಿತ್ಯತೆಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ, ಯಾವ ಆಶ್ರಮದಲ್ಲೇ ರತನಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸಬೇಕು।

Word by Word

• देहेषु: in bodies
• देहेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine Locative Plural

• अनित्यताम्: impermanence
• अनित्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनित्यता (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + नित्य + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine Accusative Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — having seen

• नित्यता: eternity
• नित्यता: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (दृष्ट्वा इत्यस्य कर्म) — Feminine Accusative Singular

• परमात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Genitive Singular; 'of the Supreme Self'

• कुर्वीत: should make/do
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada

• मुक्तये: for liberation
• मुक्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine Dative Singular

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular

• यत्रयत्र: wherever
• यत्रयत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र-यत्र (अव्यय; पुनरुक्त)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'wherever')

• आश्रमे: in (any) āśrama/stage of life
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Locative Singular

• रतः: being devoted/engaged
• रतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् "to delight"; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्तरि) — Masculine Nom Singular; 'engaged/devoted'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker contemplates a fading body (withered leaf motif) while a steady, luminous inner flame symbolizes the Paramātman; four āśramas appear as subtle background figures, all oriented toward a central Śiva-liṅga/inner light.

Characters & Entities

• Paramātman
• Āśrama system

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moksha is grounded in discernment: body is impermanent, the Self is eternal; therefore liberation-effort is essential in every life-stage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied liberating setting where such knowledge and striving are especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: make sustained effort toward mukti regardless of being a student, householder, forest-dweller, or renunciate.