Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अविमुक्ते महाक्षेत्रे सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे सताम् । धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य रत्नानां परमाकरे

Transliteration

avimukte mahākṣetre sarvasiddhiprade satām | dharmārthakāmamokṣākhya ratnānāṃ paramākare

Translation

അവിമുക്ത മഹാക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ—സത്സ്വഭാവികൾക്ക് സർവസിദ്ധി നൽകുന്നതിൽ—ധർമ്മം, അർത്ഥം, കാമം, മോക്ഷം എന്ന രത്നങ്ങളുടെ പരമ ഖനിയാണ് ഉള്ളത്।

Word by Word

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in Avimukta/Kāśī)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्’

• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे: in (that) which grants all siddhis
• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वासां सिद्धीनां प्रदः’ (giver of all attainments)

• सताम्: of the virtuous
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of the good/virtuous’

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य: called dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाख्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘धर्मार्थकाममोक्ष इति आख्या यस्य’ (named as dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa)

• रत्नानाम्: of jewels
• रत्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• परमाकरे: in the supreme mine/treasury
• परमाकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘परमश्चासौ आकारः/आकरः’ (supreme mine/treasury)

Speaker

Garga

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Mahākṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Damanā and assembled disciples

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction of Avimukta as a radiant city-field: temples and ghāṭas, Śiva-liṅgas, pilgrims; above it, symbolic ‘jewels’ labeled Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa shining like gems in a mine.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Avimukta is extolled as a uniquely potent sacred geography where all four human aims culminate, especially mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī/Varanasi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse is a sthala-māhātmya proclamation of Avimukta’s power.