Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यामुषित्वापि यो लोलार्कं न सेवते । सेवंते तं नरं नूनं क्लेशाः क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāmuṣitvāpi yo lolārkaṃ na sevate | sevaṃte taṃ naraṃ nūnaṃ kleśāḥ kṣudvyādhisaṃbhavāḥ

Translation

Walaupun tinggal di Vārāṇasī, sesiapa yang tidak berbakti serta memuja Dewa Lolārka, nescaya akan diiringi kesusahan yang lahir daripada lapar dan penyakit.

Word by Word

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• उषित्वा: having stayed
• उषित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having dwelt/stayed’

• अपि: even/although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive ‘even/although’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• लोलार्कम्: (Lord) Lolārka
• लोलार्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोलार्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• सेवते: serves/worships
• सेवते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सेवन्ते: attend upon/afflict (lit. ‘serve’)
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नरम्: man/person
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), निश्चयार्थ ‘surely/indeed’

• क्लेशाः: afflictions
• क्लेशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः: arising from hunger and disease
• क्षुद्व्याधिसंभवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (determinative): ‘hunger-and-disease-originated’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lolārka

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the sages (naimiṣāraṇya frame) / addressed ‘muni’ within Kāśī dialogue subframe

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī turns away from Lolārka-kuṇḍa; shadowy personifications of hunger and disease follow, while the sun-tīrtha glows invitingly beside steps and water.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Lolārka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merely being in a holy city is not enough; one must actively practice devotion and service to its sacred centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lolārka in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā—regular honoring/attendance/worship of Lolārka, implying ongoing devotional practice.