Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अत्रत्यः प्राणिमात्रोपि रक्षणीयः प्रयत्नतः । एकस्मिन्रक्षिते जंतावत्र काश्यां प्रयत्नतः । त्रैलोक्यरक्षणात्पुण्यं यत्स्यात्तत्स्यान्न संशयः

Transliteration

atratyaḥ prāṇimātropi rakṣaṇīyaḥ prayatnataḥ | ekasminrakṣite jaṃtāvatra kāśyāṃ prayatnataḥ | trailokyarakṣaṇātpuṇyaṃ yatsyāttatsyānna saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ കാശിയിൽ ഏറ്റവും ചെറുതായ ജീവിയെയും മുഴുവൻ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ സംരക്ഷിക്കണം. കാശിയിൽ സത്യസന്ധമായ ശ്രമത്തോടെ ഒരു ജീവിയെ പോലും രക്ഷിച്ചാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യം ത്രിലോകസംരക്ഷണപുണ്യത്തിന് തുല്യം—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• अत्रत्यः: one who is here (a resident here)
• अत्रत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्रत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अत्र’ इत्यर्थे (one who is here/pertaining to this place)

• प्राणिमात्रः: any living being (even a mere creature)
• प्राणिमात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणि (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—प्राणिनां मात्रः = ‘any living being (even just a creature)’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (even/also)

• रक्षणीयः: should be protected
• रक्षणीयः: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘रक्षितव्यः’ (to be protected)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘प्रयत्नेन’ इत्यर्थे (with effort)

• एकस्मिन्: in one (case/person)
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘one’

• रक्षिते: when protected / in (the) protected (one)
• रक्षिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/क्त), पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘when (it is) protected’

• जन्तौ: in/with regard to a creature
• जन्तौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘in the creature’ (locative absolute with एकस्मिन् रक्षिते)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here’

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

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘with effort’

• त्रैलोक्यरक्षणात्: from protecting the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यरक्षणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—त्रैलोक्यस्य रक्षणम् (from the protection of the three worlds)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative pronoun)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī gently rescues a small creature near a ghat, with Viśveśvara’s presence implied; the city’s temples and Gaṅgā frame the act of compassion as cosmic-scale protection.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate protection of life in Kāśī is presented as an exceptionally powerful dharma, yielding vast merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is glorified as a uniquely merit-multiplying sacred field (kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the instruction is ethical-dharmic: protect living beings diligently while in Kāśī.