Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

प्रोक्तोसावुपकुर्वाणो द्वितीयस्तत्र नैष्ठिकः । तिष्ठेत्तावद्गुरुकुले यावत्स्यादायुषः क्षयः

Transliteration

proktosāvupakurvāṇo dvitīyastatra naiṣṭhikaḥ | tiṣṭhettāvadgurukule yāvatsyādāyuṣaḥ kṣayaḥ

Translation

ଏଠାରେ ‘ଉପକୁର୍ବାଣ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଗଲା; ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟଟି ‘ନୈଷ୍ଠିକ’। ସେ ଗୁରୁକୁଳରେ ଯେତେଦିନ ଆୟୁ ରହେ—ଆୟୁଷ୍ୟ କ୍ଷୟ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ—ବସିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• proktaḥ: declared/said
• proktaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म) (implicit: 'said/declared as')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• asau: that person/he
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• upakurvāṇaḥ: the upakurvāṇa (a type of brahmacārin)
• upakurvāṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition to asau)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upa-√kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; present active participle used substantively

• dvitīyaḥ: the second
• dvitīyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate/appositive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ordinal adjective

• tatra: there/in that context
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• naiṣṭhikaḥ: the naiṣṭhika (lifelong student)
• naiṣṭhikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate/appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naiṣṭhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; substantive (name of a type)

• tiṣṭhet: should stay
• tiṣṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• tāvat: so long/as long
• tāvat: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (extent/limit adverb)

• guru-kule: in the teacher’s household
• guru-kule: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुरोः कुलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् सम्बन्धे अवधिवाचक (correlative limit)

• syāt: should be/comes to be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• āyuṣaḥ: of life/lifespan
• āyuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kṣayaḥ: end/decay
• kṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (of syāt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene gurukula courtyard: a naiṣṭhika brahmacārī seated near the guru, holding a staff, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a sacred fire in the background; the student’s posture conveys lifelong resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma offers distinct paths: one may complete study and serve society, or embrace lifelong discipline in service of sacred learning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī’s puranic context, the verse reflects Kāśī as a seat of enduring gurukula tradition and spiritual discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes the lifelong residence of the naiṣṭhika brahmacārī in the guru’s household until death.