Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तस्य पुण्यं न जानामि चिंतिते चाक्षरे परे । काश्यां नित्यं प्रवस्तव्यं सेव्योत्तरवहा सदा

Transliteration

tasya puṇyaṃ na jānāmi ciṃtite cākṣare pare | kāśyāṃ nityaṃ pravastavyaṃ sevyottaravahā sadā

Translation

പരമ അക്ഷരത്തെ ധ്യാനിക്കുന്നവന്റെ പുണ്യം ഞാൻ അളക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല. കാശിയിൽ നിത്യം വസിക്കണം; സദാ ഉത്തരവാഹിനി (ഗംഗ)യെ സേവിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्बन्धे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — of that (person/act)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — merit

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात — negation particle

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — “I know”

• चिन्तिते: when contemplated
• चिन्तिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तित (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी — “when (it is) contemplated/remembered”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात — conjunction “and”

• अक्षरे: in the syllable
• अक्षरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — in/with the syllable (imperishable mantra)

• परे: supreme
• परे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अक्षरे) — supreme

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

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण — adverb “always/constantly”

• प्रवस्तव्यम्: should be resided (one should dwell)
• प्रवस्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वस् (धातु) → प्रवस्तव्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्तव्यता/विधेय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “is to be dwelt/one should reside”

• सेव्या: should be served
• सेव्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय — “is to be served/should be frequented”

• उत्तरवहा: Uttaravahā (river/stream)
• उत्तरवहा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरवहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य (सेव्या) — name of a (river/stream) “Uttaravahā”

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — “always”

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic sits on a Kāśī ghat at dawn, meditating on the imperishable; the Gaṅgā current is shown turning northward; pilgrims quietly offer water and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Akṣara (Supreme Imperishable)
• Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of the Supreme and residence in Kāśī—especially service to the Gaṅgā—are presented as immeasurably meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī together with the Uttaravāhinī (north-flowing) Gaṅgā segment revered there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-vāsa/regular sojourn in Kāśī and continual service (seva) to the Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā, alongside contemplation of the Supreme.