Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अहो वराकः संसारः क्व भविष्यत्यनीश्वरः । आरभ्याद्यदिनं न त्वामर्चयिष्यंति केपि यत्

Transliteration

aho varākaḥ saṃsāraḥ kva bhaviṣyatyanīśvaraḥ | ārabhyādyadinaṃ na tvāmarcayiṣyaṃti kepi yat

Translation

ಅಯ್ಯೋ, ಸಂಸಾರ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ದೀನ! ಈಶ್ವರನಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಅದು ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತದೆ? ಇಂದಿನಿಂದ ಯಾರು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಆರಾಧಿಸದಿರುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಅವರಿಗೆ ಇನ್ನೇನು ಶರಣು ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ?

Word by Word

• aho: alas!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection)

• varākaḥ: wretched
• varākaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• saṃsāraḥ: worldly existence
• saṃsāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• kva: how/where
• kva: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where/how)

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• anīśvaraḥ: without a lord; helpless
• anīśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष-भावः (prefixal negation), विशेषणम्

• ārabhya: starting from
• ārabhya: Sambandha (Temporal marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√rabh (धातु) → ārabhya (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund): 'beginning from'

• adya: today
• adya: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

• dinam: day
• dinam: Karma (Extent of time/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकम्

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• arcayiṣyanti: will worship
• arcayiṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• ke: who (anyone)
• ke: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; प्रश्न/अनिश्चितार्थे (who/any)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• yat: since/that
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकं (relative pronoun: 'since/that')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands at a Kāśī ghāṭa at dawn, hands folded, seeing the turbulent river as saṃsāra; above, the Lord’s presence as a steady light. People who neglect worship appear as drifting figures without a boat; worshippers hold a lamp and rosary, finding direction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahākāla
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without devotion to Īśvara (Śiva), saṃsāra remains miserable and directionless; worship is presented as the sustaining refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting, where worship of Mahākāla/Śiva is upheld as paramount.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) of Śiva is implied—regular reverence as a daily dharmic anchor.