Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

आत्मक्रीडस्य सततं सदात्ममिथुनस्य च । आत्मन्येव सु तृप्तस्य योगसिद्धिर्न दूरतः

Transliteration

ātmakrīḍasya satataṃ sadātmamithunasya ca | ātmanyeva su tṛptasya yogasiddhirna dūrataḥ

Translation

ਜੋ ਸਦਾ ਆਤਮਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਕ੍ਰੀੜਾ ਕਰਦਾ, ਆਤਮਾ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਸੰਗਤ ਰੱਖਦਾ ਅਤੇ ਆਤਮਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਪੂਰਨ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ—ਉਸ ਲਈ ਯੋਗ-ਸਿੱਧੀ ਦੂਰ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• आत्मक्रीडस्य: of one who sports in the Self
• आत्मक्रीडस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक्रीड (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + क्रीडा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (genitive singular masculine; adjectival)

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• आत्ममिथुनस्य: of one whose pair/companion is the Self
• आत्ममिथुनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्ममिथुन (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + मिथुन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोगः (genitive singular masculine; adjectival)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• आत्मनि: in the Self
• आत्मनि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular masculine)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• सु: well, thoroughly
• सु: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गवत्/प्रशंसार्थक (intensifier, ‘well’)

• तृप्तस्य: of the satisfied one
• तृप्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (कृदन्त; √तृप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे (past participle used adjectivally; genitive singular masculine)

• योगसिद्धिः: yogic attainment/perfection
• योगसिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; योग + सिद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular feminine)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• दूरतः: far away
• दूरतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘from afar/at a distance’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in stillness on a Kāśī ghat at dawn, eyes half-closed, the city’s temples behind him; the Ganga flows quietly as his posture suggests complete inner satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman
• Yoga-siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the mind rests in Self-delight and Self-contentment, yogic perfection naturally draws near.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting frames Kāśī as a sacred environment supportive of inward absorption leading to siddhi and mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is given; the ‘practice’ is abiding contentedly in the Self.