Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तं निषेवेत देवर्षिगणसेवितम् । यदीच्छेन्मानवो धीमान्न पुनर्जननं भुवि

Transliteration

avimuktaṃ niṣeveta devarṣigaṇasevitam | yadīcchenmānavo dhīmānna punarjananaṃ bhuvi

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണ്ടും ജനനം ആഗ്രഹിക്കാത്ത ബുദ്ധിമാൻ മനുഷ്യൻ, ദേവർഷിഗണങ്ങൾ സേവിക്കുന്ന അവിമുക്തത്തെ ആശ്രയിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (स्थाननाम)

• निषेवेत: should resort to; should dwell in
• निषेवेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• देवर्षिगणसेवितम्: served/visited by hosts of divine sages
• देवर्षिगणसेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव-ऋषि-गण-सेवित (प्रातिपदिक); देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवित (कृदन्त, √सेव्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) विशेषण अविमुक्तम् इति

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय; शर्त (conditional particle: if)

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मानवः: a man; human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धीमान्: wise
• धीमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मानवः इति)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (again)

• जननम्: birth
• जननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (इच्छेत् इत्यस्य)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Avimukta shown as a luminous sacred city where devas and ṛṣis perform worship; a wise human pilgrim joins them, hands folded, seeking freedom from rebirth; celestial beings hover above ghats and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Devas
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking Avimukta is recommended as a purposeful choice for one aiming at release from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niṣevana—regular resorting to and serving/inhabiting Avimukta as a pilgrimage-discipline.