Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सुधां पिबति यो नित्यं काशीवर्णद्वयात्मिकाम् । स नैर्जरीं दशां हित्वा सुधैव परिजायते

Transliteration

sudhāṃ pibati yo nityaṃ kāśīvarṇadvayātmikām | sa nairjarīṃ daśāṃ hitvā sudhaiva parijāyate

Translation

ആരു നിത്യം ‘കാശീ’ എന്ന ദ്വ്യക്ഷരാത്മക അമൃതം പാനം ചെയ്യുന്നതോ, അവൻ മർത്ത്യദശ വിട്ട് അമൃതസ്വരൂപനായിത്തന്നെ പുനർജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सुधाम्: nectar
• सुधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• पिबति: drinks
• पिबति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण; नपुंसक एकवचन (used adverbially: always)

• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मिकाम्: consisting of the two syllables ‘kāśī’
• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मिकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); सुधाम् इति विशेषणम् (nectar consisting of the two syllables 'kāśī')

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• नैर्जरीम्: divine/celestial
• नैर्जरीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of object/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैर्जरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); दशाम् इति विशेषणम् (celestial/divine)

• दशाम्: state/condition
• दशाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Gerundial modifier/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• सुधा: nectar
• सुधा: Upamāna/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• परिजायते: is born/comes to be
• परिजायते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg.); आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (nāma-amṛta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee cups hands as if drinking luminous nectar formed by the syllables ‘Kā’ and ‘Śī’; the body becomes radiant, shedding a grey mortal sheath; celestial beings witness the transfiguration.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Sudhā (nectar/amṛta)
• Varṇa-dvaya (two syllables)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The name ‘Kāśī’ is exalted as amṛta—regular contemplation/recitation is said to transmute mortality into liberating immortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose very name is celebrated as nectar.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily engagement with the Kāśī name-mantra—metaphorically ‘drinking’ it through japa and devotion.