Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अह्रस्वदीर्घमलघुगुरुत्वपरिवर्जितम् । न यत्रोपचयः कश्चित्तथा चापचयोपि च

Transliteration

ahrasvadīrghamalaghugurutvaparivarjitam | na yatropacayaḥ kaścittathā cāpacayopi ca

Translation

അത് ഹ്രസ്വവും അല്ല, ദീർഘവും അല്ല; ലഘുവും അല്ല, ഗുരുവും അല്ല. അതിൽ വർദ്ധനയില്ല, ക്ഷയവും ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• अह्रस्वदीर्घम्: neither short nor long
• अह्रस्वदीर्घम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक-द्वन्द्वः (ह्रस्वं च दीर्घं च)

• अलघुगुरुत्वपरिवर्जितम्: devoid of lightness/heaviness
• अलघुगुरुत्वपरिवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + लघु (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित) + परि+वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (परिवर्जितम् = excluded); नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (लघुगुरुत्व-रहितम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• उपचयः: increase/accumulation
• उपचयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कश्चित्: any (at all)
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (someone/any)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अपचयः: decrease/waning
• अपचयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A balanced composition: scales or measuring rods discarded at a Kāśī ghat; the yogin remains unmoved while crowds flow—visual metaphor for ‘no increase/decrease’.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is changeless—beyond all measurable attributes and transformations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the scriptural backdrop in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, presenting the city as a seat of liberating knowledge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse teaches the unchanging nature of the Absolute.