Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सायुज्यमुक्तिरत्रैव सान्निध्यादिरथान्यतः । सुलभा सापि नो नूनं काश्यां मोक्षोस्ति हेलया

Transliteration

sāyujyamuktiratraiva sānnidhyādirathānyataḥ | sulabhā sāpi no nūnaṃ kāśyāṃ mokṣosti helayā

Translation

ഇവിടെയേ സായുജ്യ-മുക്തി (ഭഗവാനോടുള്ള ഏകത്വം); മറ്റിടങ്ങളിൽ സാന്നിധ്യാദി ഫലങ്ങൾ. ആ സായുജ്യവും യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ എളുപ്പമല്ല; എന്നാൽ കാശിയിൽ മോക്ഷം പ്രായേണ അനായാസം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सायुज्य-मुक्तिः: liberation as union (with the deity)
• सायुज्य-मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायुज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सायुज्यस्य मुक्ति:)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• सान्निध्य-आदिः: proximity and the like
• सान्निध्य-आदिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सान्निध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सान्निध्यं आदिः यस्य/सान्निध्यादि:)

• अथ: and then/whereas
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)

• अन्यतः: elsewhere/from elsewhere
• अन्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/दिशावाचक (from elsewhere/otherwise)

• सुलभा: easily obtainable
• सुलभा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied मुक्ति:)

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन; ‘our/for us’ (enclitic)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (certainly)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• हेलया: with ease; effortlessly
• हेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous panorama of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā: pilgrims at ghāṭas, bells and lamps, and above them a radiant Śiva-bestowing-sāyujya motif—souls merging into a Śiva-tejas halo near Viśveśvara’s sanctum.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mukti/Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī uniquely makes liberation accessible; it is praised as a place where mokṣa comes with exceptional ease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the exceptional mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse contrasts grades of liberation and highlights Kāśī’s special efficacy.