Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नाविमुक्तसमंक्षेत्रं नाविमुक्तसमा गतिः । नाविमुक्तसमं लिंगं सत्यं सत्यं पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

nāvimuktasamaṃkṣetraṃ nāvimuktasamā gatiḥ | nāvimuktasamaṃ liṃgaṃ satyaṃ satyaṃ punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

അവിമുക്തത്തിന് തുല്യമായ ക്ഷേത്രമില്ല, അവിമുക്തത്തിന് തുല്യമായ ഗതിയില്ല; അവിമുക്തത്തിന് തുല്യമായ ലിംഗമില്ല—സത്യം, സത്യം, പുനഃപുനഃ സത്യം.

Word by Word

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

• अविमुक्तसमम्: equal to Avimukta
• अविमुक्तसमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avimukta + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अविमुक्तसमा: equal to Avimukta
• अविमुक्तसमा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avimukta + samā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• गतिः: path, goal, refuge
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अविमुक्तसमम्: equal to Avimukta
• अविमुक्तसमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avimukta + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सत्यम्: truth; (it is) true
• सत्यम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); वाक्ये विशेषणवत् (as predicate: true)

• सत्यम्: true, true
• सत्यम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• पुनःपुनः: again and again
• पुनःपुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar-punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (repetitive adverb: again and again)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Kāśī as a radiant mandala: countless liṅgas glowing, the central Avimukteśvara/Viśvanātha shining brightest; a banner-like inscription ‘satyaṃ satyaṃ’ repeated in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Liṅga (Śiva-liṅga)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta is asserted as unparalleled in sanctity, spiritual outcome, and Śaiva presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a categorical praise (māhātmya) of the kṣetra, gati, and liṅga.