Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

प्रयागतोपि तीर्थेशात्सर्वेषु भुवनेष्वपि । अनायासेन वै मुक्तिः काश्यां देहावसानतः

Transliteration

prayāgatopi tīrtheśātsarveṣu bhuvaneṣvapi | anāyāsena vai muktiḥ kāśyāṃ dehāvasānataḥ

Translation

തീർത്ഥേശനായ പ്രയാഗത്തേക്കാളും മേലായി, എല്ലാ ലോകങ്ങളിലും—കാശിയിൽ ദേഹാവസാനം സംഭവിച്ചാൽ അനായാസം മോക്ഷം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्रयागतः: from Prayāga
• प्रयागतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपातः (also/even)

• तीर्थ-ईशात्: from the lord of tīrthas
• तीर्थ-ईशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: तीर्थस्य ईशः); पुल्लिङ्गम्, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचनम्

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसके, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचनम्; ‘भुवनेषु’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भुवनेषु: in the worlds
• भुवनेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचनम्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (also/even)

• अनायासेन: without effort; easily
• अनायासेन: Karana/Manner (करण/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनायास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental of manner)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• देह-अवसानतः: at the end of the body (at death)
• देह-अवसानतः: Time/Condition (काल/अवस्था)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देहस्य अवसानम्); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb: ‘from/at the end’); अव्ययम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying devotee on the banks of Gaṅgā in Kāśī, hearing Śiva’s liberating presence; the city’s ghāṭs and temples glow; liberation depicted as light rising effortlessly.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is presented as uniquely powerful for liberation, especially at the moment of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as granting anāyāsena mukti at dehāvasāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the salvific significance of dying in Kāśī.