Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

न तत्पुण्यैर्न तद्दानैर्न तपोभिर्न तज्जपैः । न लभ्यं विविधैर्यज्ञैर्लभ्यमैशादनुग्रहात्

Transliteration

na tatpuṇyairna taddānairna tapobhirna tajjapaiḥ | na labhyaṃ vividhairyajñairlabhyamaiśādanugrahāt

Translation

അത് (കാശീപ്രാപ്തി) പുണ്യത്താൽ മാത്രം അല്ല, ദാനത്താൽ അല്ല, തപസ്സാൽ അല്ല, ജപത്താൽ അല്ല, പലവിധ യജ്ഞങ്ങളാലും അല്ല; അത് ഈശൻ (ശിവൻ) അനുഗ്രഹത്താൽ മാത്രമേ ലഭിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः

• तत्पुण्यैः: by those merits
• तत्पुण्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; साधनार्थे (by means of)

• न: nor
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• तद्दानैः: by those gifts/charities
• तद्दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• न: nor
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• तपोभिः: by austerities
• तपोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• न: nor
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• तज्जपैः: by those recitations
• तज्जपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + जप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Kriya-vishesana (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• लभ्यम्: obtainable
• लभ्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभ्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive: to be obtained/obtainable)

• विविधैः: by various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• यज्ञैः: sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• लभ्यम्: obtainable
• लभ्यम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) → लभ्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः

• ऐशात्: from the Lord (Īśa)
• ऐशात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐश (प्रातिपदिक; ईश-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्; ‘ईश्वरसम्बन्धात्’ (from the Lord)

• अनुग्रहात्: from grace; by favor
• अनुग्रहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: the speaker enumerates merit-acts (dāna, tapas, japa, yajña) shown as symbolic offerings, yet all bow toward a towering Śiva-linga radiating ‘anugraha’ as the true gateway to Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied)
• Īśa (Śiva)
• Dāna
• Tapas
• Japa
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual effort is honored, but Kāśī’s attainment is ultimately framed as a gift of Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta, whose attainment is said to depend on Īśa’s favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna, tapas, japa, and yajña are mentioned as insufficient by themselves; the verse stresses reliance on divine grace.