Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तारकस्योपदेशेन काशीसंस्थोऽमृतो भवेत् । अनेकजन्मसंसिद्धैर्बद्धोऽपि प्राकृतैर्गुणैः

Transliteration

tārakasyopadeśena kāśīsaṃstho'mṛto bhavet | anekajanmasaṃsiddhairbaddho'pi prākṛtairguṇaiḥ

Translation

താരക (മന്ത്രം/ഉപദേശം) എന്ന ഉപദേശത്താൽ കാശിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നവൻ അമൃതനാകുന്നു—അനേകം ജന്മങ്ങളിൽ ഉറച്ചുപോയ പ്രകൃതിഗുണങ്ങളാൽ ബന്ധിതനായിരുന്നാലും.

Word by Word

• तारकस्य: of Tāraka (the ‘tāraka’ mantra/teaching)
• तारकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Gen., Sg.)

• उपदेशेन: by instruction/teaching
• उपदेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Instr., Sg.)

• काशी-संस्थः: one residing in Kāśī
• काशी-संस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Sg.)

• अमृतः: immortal
• अमृतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Sg.)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd, Sg.)

• अनेक-जन्म-संसिद्धैः: by those perfected through many births
• अनेक-जन्म-संसिद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संसिद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, सम्+√सिध्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr., Pl.); अनेकैः जन्मभिः संसिद्धैः

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √बन्ध्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Sg.)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• प्राकृतैः: by natural/ordinary
• प्राकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr., Pl.)

• गुणैः: qualities (guṇas)
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr., Pl.)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva whispers the Tāraka into the ear of a departing soul in Kāśī; behind them, the guṇas appear as colored cords (sattva-white, rajas-red, tamas-black) loosening and falling away.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka (mantra/teaching)
• Kāśī
• Guṇas (sattva/rajas/tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, the saving instruction (Tāraka) overrides deep-seated karmic conditioning, making liberation accessible even to the heavily bound.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the place where the Tāraka-upadeśa is efficacious for mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upadeśa (bestowal/instruction) of the Tāraka is referenced; it is traditionally linked to Śiva’s liberating counsel at Kāśī.