Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अपुनर्भवदेहास्ते येऽविमुक्रेतनुत्यजः । विना सांख्येन योगेन विना नानाव्रतादिभिः

Transliteration

apunarbhavadehāste ye'vimukretanutyajaḥ | vinā sāṃkhyena yogena vinā nānāvratādibhiḥ

Translation

അവിമുക്തയിൽ ദേഹം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നവർ പുനർജന്മരഹിതമായ ദേഹം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു—സാംഖ്യം കൂടാതെ, യോഗം കൂടാതെ, നാനാവ്രതാദികൾ കൂടാതെ.

Word by Word

• अपुनर्भवदेहाः: having bodies not subject to rebirth
• अपुनर्भवदेहाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + पुनर्भव (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (apunarbhava-dehāḥ = whose bodies are not for rebirth)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अविमुक्त-रेतस्-नुत्यजः: those who do not emit semen in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्त-रेतस्-नुत्यजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + नु (धातु) + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अविमुक्ते रेतः नु त्यजन्ति ये = those who do not discharge semen in Avimukta); पाठे 'रेतनुत्यजः' सन्धि-समासरूपम्

• विना: without
• विना: Nishedha-sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/वियोगार्थक अव्यय; तृतीया-सहयोगी (without)

• सांख्येन: by Sāṃkhya (doctrine/practice)
• सांख्येन: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योगेन: by Yoga
• योगेन: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Nishedha-sambandha (Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/वियोगार्थक अव्यय; तृतीया-सहयोगी (without)

• नाना-व्रत-आदिभिः: by various vows and the like
• नाना-व्रत-आदिभिः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्रतानि आदयः येषां तैः); नाना (various) उपपदपूर्वक

Speaker

Śiva-gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene depiction of a person departing the body in Avimukta while Viśveśvara’s presence bestows release; symbolic scrolls labeled Sāṃkhya and Yoga lie aside, indicating liberation beyond methods.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Sāṃkhya
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s power and the Lord’s grace in Avimukta are said to confer mokṣa directly, beyond reliance on auxiliary philosophical systems or extensive vow-lists.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī, the preeminent mokṣa-kṣetra associated with Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It explicitly negates the necessity of Sāṃkhya, Yoga, and many vratas for this result; no positive ritual is prescribed in the verse.