Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ग्रहनक्षत्रताराणां कालेन पतनं ध्रुवम् । अविमुक्ते मृतानां तु पतनं नैव विद्यते

Transliteration

grahanakṣatratārāṇāṃ kālena patanaṃ dhruvam | avimukte mṛtānāṃ tu patanaṃ naiva vidyate

Translation

കാലക്രമത്തിൽ ഗ്രഹ–നക്ഷത്ര–താരങ്ങളുടെ പതനം നിശ്ചയം; എന്നാൽ അവിമുക്തത്തിൽ ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക് പതനം ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• ग्रह: planets
• ग्रह: Modifier (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद (ग्रह-नक्षत्र-तारा)

• नक्षत्र: constellations
• नक्षत्र: Modifier (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समास-पूर्वपद

• ताराणाम्: of stars (and planets, constellations)
• ताराणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (ग्रह-नक्षत्र-तारा) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वस्य षष्ठी बहुवचन

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पतनम्: fall/decline
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक; पत् धातोः ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certain
• ध्रुवम्: Modifier (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पतनम्’ विशेषण

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देशाधिकरण

• मृतानाम्: of the dead (persons)
• मृतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘(जनानाम्)’ अध्याहार; ‘पतनम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्ध

• तु: but
• तु: Modifier (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• पतनम्: fall
• पतनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Modifier (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic ‘indeed/at all’)

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; ‘विद्’ = to be found)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic panorama: planets, constellations, and stars depicted as drifting and collapsing with time; in contrast, Avimukta shines as an unmoving spiritual axis where a departing soul ascends without falling.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic entities are subject to time, but the liberation associated with death in Avimukta is depicted as irreversible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī, specifically the merit of dying there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it underscores Kāśī-maraṇa as a decisive spiritual event.