Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एक एव चरेन्नित्यमनग्निरनिकेतनः । सिद्ध्यर्थमसहायः स्याद्ग्राममन्नार्थमाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

eka eva carennityamanagniraniketanaḥ | siddhyarthamasahāyaḥ syādgrāmamannārthamāśrayet

Translation

അവൻ നിത്യം ഒറ്റയ്ക്കു സഞ്ചരിക്കണം; ബാഹ്യാഗ്നി പാലിക്കാതെയും സ്ഥിരവാസമില്ലാതെയും ഇരിക്കണം. സിദ്ധ്യർത്ഥം കൂട്ടുകാരില്ലാതെ നിലകൊണ്ട്, അന്നത്തിനായി മാത്രം ഗ്രാമത്തെ ആശ്രയിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• एकः: alone/one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• चरेत्: should wander/live
• चरेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अनग्निः: without fire (no household fire)
• अनग्निः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्ययार्थः; विशेषण

• अनिकेतनः: homeless/without abode
• अनिकेतनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिकेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः; विशेषण

• सिद्ध्यर्थम्: for the sake of attainment/success
• सिद्ध्यर्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• असहायः: without companion/help
• असहायः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असहाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः; विशेषण

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ग्रामम्: a village
• ग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अन्नार्थम्: for food
• अन्नार्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• आश्रयेत्: should resort to
• आश्रयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic walking with staff and waterpot along a dusty path outside Kāśī, refusing shelter; he approaches a village at midday for alms, then departs to a riverside grove.

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Grāma (village)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Solitude and non-dependence reduce distraction; minimal contact with society supports focused striving for realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general yati-dharma instruction within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, not a verse praising a named shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A lifestyle rule: wander alone, keep no fixed abode, and approach villages only for alms/food.