Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यायात्स्वं हेलया त्यक्त्वा तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् । यमेंद्राग्निमुखा देवा दृष्ट्वा मुक्तिपथोन्मुखान्

Transliteration

yāyātsvaṃ helayā tyaktvā tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam | yameṃdrāgnimukhā devā dṛṣṭvā muktipathonmukhān

Translation

അവർ സ്വന്തം വാസസ്ഥലങ്ങളെ തുച്ഛമെന്നപോലെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ പരമപദത്തിലേക്ക് വേഗം പോയി. മോക്ഷപഥത്തിലേക്ക് തിരിഞ്ഞവരെ കണ്ടു യമൻ, ഇന്ദ്രൻ, അഗ്നി മുതലായ ദേവന്മാർ ജാഗ്രതരായി.

Word by Word

• yāyāt: should go
• yāyāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लकारः—विधिलिङ् (Optative); पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd); वचनम्—एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• svam: one’s own (self/property)
• svam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• helayā: with contempt / carelessly
• helayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: helā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); तृतीया (Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी (Genitive); एकवचन (Singular)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• padam: abode/step
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• yama-indra-agni-mukhāḥ: the gods headed by Yama, Indra, and Agni
• yama-indra-agni-mukhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + indra + agni + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहुपद-समास; ‘यम-इन्द्र-अग्नि-आदयः मुखं येषाम्’ इति); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• mukti-patha-unmukhān: those facing toward the path of liberation
• mukti-patha-unmukhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukti + patha + unmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘मुक्तेः पथः’ + ‘उन्मुख’); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (Accusative); बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stream of pilgrims/embodied beings, casting off homes and possessions, move toward a radiant ‘parama-pada’ horizon; above them Yama, Indra, Agni and other devas watch alertly, as if a cosmic checkpoint has been activated around Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Yama
• Indra
• Agni
• Devas
• Mukti (Liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation (mukti) is portrayed as the highest aim, so potent that even the gods take notice when beings turn toward it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī-kṣetra (Varanasi), famed in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa as a unique field of liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it frames the theological setting of mokṣa and divine oversight.