Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

अशाश्वतमिदं ज्ञात्वा मानुष्यं बहुकिल्विषम् । अविमुक्तं सदा सेव्यं संसारभयमोचकम्

Transliteration

aśāśvatamidaṃ jñātvā mānuṣyaṃ bahukilviṣam | avimuktaṃ sadā sevyaṃ saṃsārabhayamocakam

Translation

മാനവജീവിതം അനിത്യമെന്നും അനേകം ദോഷങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതെന്നും അറിഞ്ഞ്, സംസാരഭയം നീക്കുന്ന അവിമുക്ത (കാശി)യെ സദാ ആശ്രയിച്ച് സേവിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अशाश्वतम्: impermanent, non-eternal
• अशाश्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; pronoun)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having known)

• मानुष्यम्: human life/state
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• बहुकिल्विषम्: full of many sins
• बहुकिल्विषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + किल्विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बहूनि किल्विषाणि यस्मिन्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; genitive-tatpurusha)

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक-नाम (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; name of the sacred place Avimukta/Kāśī)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सेव्यम्: should be served/visited
• सेव्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be served/should be served)

• संसारभयमोचकम्: remover of fear of saṃsāra
• संसारभयमोचकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + मोचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य भयस्य मोचकः) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; genitive-tatpurusha)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim, aware of life’s impermanence, approaches the luminous Avimukta-kṣetra; Śiva’s unseen protection is suggested through sacred light over ghāṭas and liṅgas.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because human life is impermanent and morally fraught, one should seek a liberating refuge—Avimukta (Kāśī)—to overcome fear of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta, the sacred heart of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as a place oriented toward liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction to ‘serve/resort to’ Avimukta—i.e., live there, visit with devotion, and practice worship and discipline in that sacred kṣetra.