Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

याचकायातिशोच्याय प्रणतार्तिप्रभंजक । ततोऽविमुक्तक्षेत्रस्य साम्यं ह्यभिलषाम्यहम्

Transliteration

yācakāyātiśocyāya praṇatārtiprabhaṃjaka | tato'vimuktakṣetrasya sāmyaṃ hyabhilaṣāmyaham

Translation

“ഞാൻ യാചകനും അത്യന്തം കരുണാർഹനും ആകുന്നു; പ്രണതരുടെ ആർതി ഭഞ്ജിക്കുന്നവനേ! അതുകൊണ്ട് ‘അവിമുക്ത’ എന്ന പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തോടു സമത്വം ഞാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു।”

Word by Word

• yācakāya: to a supplicant
• yācakāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• atiśocyāya: to one very pitiable
• atiśocyāya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of yācakāya)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + śocya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √śuc)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘अतिशोच्य’ = very pitiable

• praṇata-ārti-prabhaṃjaka: O destroyer of the distress of the bowed
• praṇata-ārti-prabhaṃjaka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √nam) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhaṃjaka (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √bhaṃj)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘प्रणतानाम् आर्तिं प्रभञ्जयति’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• tataḥ: therefore
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb) अर्थ: तस्मात्/therefore/from that

• avimukta-kṣetrasya: of the Avimukta sacred field (Kāśī)
• avimukta-kṣetrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय ‘अविमुक्तं क्षेत्रम्’ इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sāmyam: equality/sameness
• sāmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• abhilaṣāmi: I desire
• abhilaṣāmi: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√laṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: √लष् (to desire) उपसर्ग: अभि-; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Adri (the Mountain) addressing Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (benchmark)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Mountain explicitly asks for equality with Avimukta, appealing as a pitiable supplicant; Śiva is invoked as the remover of distress for those who bow.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Avimukta Kṣetra
• Kāśī (implied by Avimukta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse elevates Avimukta as an ideal sacred realm and shows that sincere petition to Śiva is grounded in humility and surrender.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta Kṣetra—identified with Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the ‘never-abandoned’ domain of Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is given; the verse expresses a spiritual aspiration connected to sacred geography.