Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वार्षिकांश्चतुरोमासान्विहरेन्न यतिः क्वचित् । बीजांकुराणां जंतूनां हिंसा तत्र यतो भवेत्

Transliteration

vārṣikāṃścaturomāsānviharenna yatiḥ kvacit | bījāṃkurāṇāṃ jaṃtūnāṃ hiṃsā tatra yato bhavet

Translation

മഴക്കാലത്തിലെ നാലുമാസങ്ങളിൽ യതി എവിടെയും സഞ്ചരിക്കരുത്; കാരണം ആ സമയത്ത് വിത്തുമുളകളും സൂക്ഷ്മജീവികളും ഹിംസിക്കപ്പെടാൻ സാധ്യതയുണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• वार्षिकान्: annual (ones)
• वार्षिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masculine, accusative, plural; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (masculine, accusative, plural; numeral adjective)

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, accusative, plural)

• विहरेत्: should roam/spend (time)
• विहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विहर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-वाचक अव्यय (adverb: at any place/any time)

• बीजाङ्कुराणाम्: of seed-sprouts
• बीजाङ्कुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज + अङ्कुर (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (genitive, plural; neuter); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (seed-sprouts)

• जन्तूनाम्: of living beings
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive, plural)

• हिंसा: harm/violence
• हिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• तत्र: there/then
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there/in that case)

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-वाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: because/for)

• भवेत्: might occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (traditional)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A saffron-clad renunciant halts travel during monsoon, seated under a simple shelter near a Kāśī lane/ghāṭ, watching sprouting grass and tiny creatures, embodying non-violence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Yati (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-violence is protected by restraint: limiting travel in the rains reduces unintended harm to living beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, presenting Kāśī as a place where yati-dharma is carefully observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of the four-month rainy-season discipline (cāturmāsya) by avoiding wandering.