Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यावन्नैत्यायुषश्चांतस्तावत्काशी न मुच्यते । कालः कलालवस्यापि संख्यातुं नैव विस्मरेत्

Transliteration

yāvannaityāyuṣaścāṃtastāvatkāśī na mucyate | kālaḥ kalālavasyāpi saṃkhyātuṃ naiva vismaret

Translation

നിശ്ചിതമായ ആയുസ്സിന്റെ അന്ത്യം വരുന്നതുവരെ കാശിയെ വിട്ടുകളയരുത്. കാലം കലാ-ലവ പോലെയുള്ള അതിസൂക്ഷ്മ അംശങ്ങളുടെ എണ്ണവും ഒരിക്കലും മറക്കില്ല.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: ‘as long as’)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• ऐत्यायुषः: of the finite (acquired) lifespan
• ऐत्यायुषः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐत्य + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘ऐत्यस्य आयुः’ = acquired/finite life-span)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्तः: end
• अन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative: ‘so long/that long’)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• मुच्यते: is relinquished/left
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कलालवस्य: of a kalā-lava (minute fraction of time)
• कलालवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलालव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘even’)

• संख्यातुम्: to count/enumerate
• संख्यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• विस्मरेत्: should not forget
• विस्मरेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim holding a staff stands firm before the Gaṅgā and Viśveśvara’s spire while Kāla is shown as a cosmic counter counting kalā and lava on a rosary/abacus—signifying time’s exactness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kāla (Time)
• Kalā
• Lava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is relentless and precise; therefore, maintain unwavering commitment to Kāśī and the pursuit of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), urged as a steadfast refuge until the end of life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is specified; the instruction is persistence in Kāśī-vāsa/resort to Kāśī without wavering.