Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

आत्मरक्षात्र कर्तव्या महाश्रेयोभिवृद्धये । अत्रात्म त्यजनोपायं मनसापि न चिंतयेत्

Transliteration

ātmarakṣātra kartavyā mahāśreyobhivṛddhaye | atrātma tyajanopāyaṃ manasāpi na ciṃtayet

Translation

ഇവിടെ (കാശിയിൽ) മഹാശ്രേയസ്സിന്റെ വർധനയ്ക്കായി സ്വയം സംരക്ഷിക്കണം. ഇവിടെ ദേഹത്യാഗം (ആത്മഹത്യ) എന്ന ഉപായം മനസ്സിലും ചിന്തിക്കരുത്।

Word by Word

• आत्म-रक्षा: self-protection
• आत्म-रक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः रक्षा)

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

• कर्तव्या: must be done
• कर्तव्या: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; gerundive ‘to be done’ (agreeing with रक्षा)

• महा-श्रेयः-अभिवृद्धये: for the increase of great good
• महा-श्रेयः-अभिवृद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महच्च तत् श्रेयः) + षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध (श्रेयसः अभिवृद्धिः) → ‘for the increase of great welfare’

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

• आत्म: self
• आत्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; (आत्मानम्) sandhi/poetic truncation

• त्यजन-उपायम्: means of abandoning (it)
• त्यजन-उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्यजन (प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्-ल्युट्/भाव) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्यजनस्य उपायः)

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• चिन्तयेत्: should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should think/consider’

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate teacher gestures ‘do not’ as a pilgrim stands at a ghat edge; Viśvanātha temple rises behind, signaling that Kāśī’s grace supports life-affirming dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s path to the highest good requires preserving life and rejecting self-harm, even in thought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, framed as a sacred field where life is to be protected for spiritual flourishing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: practice self-protection and do not consider any act intended to abandon the body.