Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कृमिकीटपतंगानामविमुक्ते तनुत्यजाम् । विभूतिर्दृश्यते या सा क्वास्ति ब्रह्मांडमंडले

Transliteration

kṛmikīṭapataṃgānāmavimukte tanutyajām | vibhūtirdṛśyate yā sā kvāsti brahmāṃḍamaṃḍale

Translation

അവിമുക്തത്തിൽ ദേഹം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്ന കൃമി, കീടം, പതംഗം മുതലായവർക്കുപോലും കാണപ്പെടുന്ന മഹിമ—അത്തരം മഹിമ ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡമണ്ഡലത്തിൽ മറ്റെവിടെയുണ്ട്?

Word by Word

• कृमिकीटपतङ्गानाम्: of worms, insects, and birds/moths
• कृमिकीटपतङ्गानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि + कीट + पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कृमयः कीटाः पतङ्गाः)

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (name of Avimukta/Kāśī area)

• तनुत्यजाम्: of those who abandon the body (die)
• तनुत्यजाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु + त्यज् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (तनुं त्यजन्ति ये) = ‘those who give up the body’

• विभूतिः: glory; power
• विभूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen; appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; संकेतार्थक सर्वनाम (correlative)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Interrogative (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक देशवाचक (interrogative adverb: where)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ब्रह्माण्डमण्डले: in the cosmic sphere (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डमण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्माण्डस्य मण्डले)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiny insect and a bird at the moment of death within Avimukta are enveloped by a gentle, auspicious radiance rising upward, while sages and pilgrims look on in astonishment; the city’s sacred aura pervades the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta’s sanctity is so exceptional that even the smallest beings gain a remarkable spiritual uplift there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra, identified with Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse stresses the inherent salvific potency of the place, especially connected with death there.