Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यामुषित्वापि यो लोलार्कं न सेवते । सेवंते तं नरं नूनं क्लेशाः क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāmuṣitvāpi yo lolārkaṃ na sevate | sevaṃte taṃ naraṃ nūnaṃ kleśāḥ kṣudvyādhisaṃbhavāḥ

Translation

വാരാണസിയിൽ വസിച്ചിട്ടും ലോളാർക്കനെ സേവിച്ചു ആരാധിക്കാത്തവനെ, വിശപ്പും രോഗവും ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ക്ലേശങ്ങൾ നിശ്ചയമായി പിന്തുടരും.

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• उषित्वा: having stayed
• उषित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having dwelt/stayed’

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive ‘even/although’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• लोलार्कम्: (Lord) Lolārka
• लोलार्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• सेवते: serves/worships
• सेवते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सेवन्ते: attend upon/afflict (lit. ‘serve’)
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नरम्: man/person
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), निश्चयार्थ ‘surely/indeed’

• क्लेशाः: afflictions
• क्लेशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः: arising from hunger and disease
• क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative): ‘hunger-and-disease-originated’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the sages (naimiṣāraṇya frame) / addressed ‘muni’ within Kāśī dialogue subframe

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī turns away from Lolārka-kuṇḍa; shadowy personifications of hunger and disease follow, while the sun-tīrtha glows invitingly beside steps and water.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Lolārka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merely being in a holy city is not enough; one must actively practice devotion and service to its sacred centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—regular honoring/attendance/worship of Lolārka, implying ongoing devotional practice.