Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यावत्स्वस्थोस्ति मे देहो यावन्नेंद्रियविक्लवः । तावत्स्वश्रेयसां हेतुं तीर्थयात्रां करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

yāvatsvasthosti me deho yāvanneṃdriyaviklavaḥ | tāvatsvaśreyasāṃ hetuṃ tīrthayātrāṃ karomyaham

Translation

എന്റെ ദേഹം ആരോഗ്യമായിരിക്കുന്നതും ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങൾ ക്ഷീണിക്കാത്തതും വരെ, എന്റെ പരമശ്രേയസ്സിന് കാരണമാകുന്ന വിധത്തിൽ ഞാൻ തീർത്ഥയാത്ര നടത്തും.

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: परिमाण/कालवाचक अव्यय (correlative: as long as)

• स्वस्थः: healthy
• स्वस्थः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (as long as)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• इन्द्रिय-विक्लवः: with senses not impaired
• इन्द्रिय-विक्लवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियैः विक्लवः/इन्द्रियेषु विक्लवः = with senses impaired)

• तावत्: so long/then
• तावत्: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तावदर्थक अव्यय (correlative: then/so long)

• स्व-श्रेयसाम्: of (my) own welfare/benefits
• स्व-श्रेयसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य श्रेयांसि)

• हेतुम्: cause/means
• हेतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: pilgrimage to sacred places
• तीर्थ-यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य यात्रा)

• करोमि: I do/undertake
• करोमि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya; vow-like statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha-yātrā (general), anchored in Kāśī ethos

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A determined pilgrim, staff in hand, stands at sunrise on a Kāśī ghat, looking toward a distant horizon where multiple sacred landscapes appear as symbolic vignettes (mountain, river confluence, temple peak), indicating a life-journey toward tīrthas.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do sacred travel and dharma-practice while strength remains; postponement risks losing the opportunity for śreyas (highest good).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises tīrtha-yātrā in general within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework; Kāśī stands as the overarching pilgrimage context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking tīrtha-yātrā as a deliberate spiritual discipline, timed before bodily and sensory decline.