Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तं महाक्षेत्रं न मुक्तं शंभुना क्वचित । प्रागेव हि मुनेऽनर्घ्यं जात्यं जांबूनदं स्वयम्

Transliteration

avimuktaṃ mahākṣetraṃ na muktaṃ śaṃbhunā kvacita | prāgeva hi mune'narghyaṃ jātyaṃ jāṃbūnadaṃ svayam

Translation

ഹേ മുനേ! അവിമുക്തം മഹാക്ഷേത്രം; ശംഭു (ശിവൻ) അതിനെ ഒരിക്കലും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നില്ല. അത് സ്വയം അനർഘ്യം—ശുദ്ധ സ്വജാത ജാംബൂനദ സ്വർണ്ണംപോലെ.

Word by Word

• avimuktam: not abandoned; not forsaken
• avimuktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vimukta (कृदन्त; वि√मुच् (धातु) + क्त, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• mahākṣetram: the great sacred field (holy region)
• mahākṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (particle of negation)

• muktam: released; abandoned
• muktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (कृदन्त; √मुच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• śaṃbhunā: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kvacit: ever; anywhere
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: at any time/anywhere)

• prāk: beforehand
• prāk: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: beforehand)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• hi: for; indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• anarghyam: priceless; invaluable
• anarghyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-arghya (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• jātyam: pure; genuine
• jātyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jātya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (native/pure)

• jāṃbūnadam: Jāmbūnada gold
• jāṃbūnadam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāṃbūnada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• svayam: itself; by itself
• svayam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक अव्यय (reflexive/emphatic: oneself)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Mahākṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as the ever-abiding Lord of Avimukta, with Kāśī envisioned as a radiant golden kṣetra—streets and ghāṭs shimmering like Jāmbūnada gold; sages bowing in reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Avimukta is uniquely sanctified because Śiva’s presence there is constant, making it inherently priceless for liberation-oriented dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the zone said to be never forsaken by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes the innate supremacy of the place due to Śiva’s unfailing presence.