Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

यौवनं धनमायुष्यं पद्मिनीजलबिंदुवत् । अतीव चपलं ज्ञात्वाऽच्युतमेकं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

yauvanaṃ dhanamāyuṣyaṃ padminījalabiṃduvat | atīva capalaṃ jñātvā'cyutamekaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

ଯୌବନ, ଧନ ଓ ଆୟୁଷ୍ୟ କମଳପତ୍ରରେ ଜଳବିନ୍ଦୁ ପରି ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଚଞ୍ଚଳ ବୋଲି ଜାଣି, ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ଏକମାତ୍ର ଅଚ୍ୟୁତଙ୍କ ଶରଣ ନେବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आयुष्यम्: life-span
• आयुष्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पद्मिनी-जल-बिन्दु-वत्: like a drop of water on a lotus
• पद्मिनी-जल-बिन्दु-वत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पद्मिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (simile marker) ‘-वत्’; पूर्वपदसमूहः: पद्मिन्याः जले बिन्दुः इव (like a drop of water on a lotus-leaf/lotus)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (intensifier)

• चपलम्: fickle/unstable
• चपलम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चपल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यौवनं/धनम्/आयुष्यम् इत्यादीनां समाहारस्य)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: ज्ञा (to know)

• अच्युतम्: Achyuta (Vishnu)
• अच्युतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विष्णोर्नाम

• एकम्: the one alone
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अच्युतम्)

• समाश्रयेत्: should take refuge in
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: श्रि (to resort to) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-

Speaker

Nārada (continuing speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of a lotus leaf with a trembling water drop; behind it, a pilgrim in Kāśī gazes toward a blue form of Acyuta, with faint cremation-ghāṭa smoke indicating mortality awareness.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly supports are fragile; lasting safety is found in wholehearted refuge in the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; it is a general renunciation-and-refuge instruction within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Taking refuge (samāśraya/śaraṇāgati) in Acyuta is prescribed as the core spiritual act.