Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

श्रुतं कर्णामृतं येन काशीत्यक्षरयुग्मकम् । न समाकणर्यत्येव स पुनर्गर्भजां कथाम्

Transliteration

śrutaṃ karṇāmṛtaṃ yena kāśītyakṣarayugmakam | na samākaṇaryatyeva sa punargarbhajāṃ kathām

Translation

ಯಾರು ‘ಕಾಶೀ’ ಎಂಬ ದ್ವ್ಯಕ್ಷರರೂಪ ಕರ್ಣಾಮೃತವನ್ನು ಶ್ರವಣಮಾಡಿದರೋ, ಅವರು ಮತ್ತೆ ಗರ್ಭಪ್ರವೇಶದ ಕಥೆ—ಪುನರ್ಜನ್ಮ—ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಕೇಳುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.); ‘heard’

• कर्ण-अमृतम्: ear-nectar; nectar to the ear
• कर्ण-अमृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositional qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः (कर्णे अमृतम् इव = nectar for the ear); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.); करणवाचक

• काशी: ‘kāśī’
• काशी: Sambandha (Quoted element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); इति-पूर्वपद (quoted form)

• इति: thus/‘…’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• अक्षर-युग्मकम्: the pair of syllables
• अक्षर-युग्मकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + युग्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (अक्षरयोः युग्मकम् = pair of syllables); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• समाकर्णयति: hears/listens to
• समाकर्णयति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कर्णय् (धातु) + सम् + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• गर्भ-जाम्: womb-born (i.e., about rebirth)
• गर्भ-जाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (गर्भात् जाता = born from the womb); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); कथाम् इति विशेषणम्

• कथाम्: story/tale
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (karnāmṛta of the name)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee listens as the syllables ‘Kā’ and ‘Śī’ appear as luminous sound-waves entering the ear; behind, a wheel of rebirth and a womb-symbol fade into mist, indicating cessation of return.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Akṣara-yugma (two syllables)
• Punarjanma (rebirth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even hearing the sacred name ‘Kāśī’ is praised as a liberating grace that severs the cycle of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose name is treated as ‘ear-nectar’ granting release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—devotional listening to the ‘Kāśī’ name/mantra.