Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

यदाहुस्तारकं ज्ञानं यदाहुरतिनिर्मलम् । स्वात्मारामं यदाहुश्च तत्तत्रांते दिशाम्यहम्

Transliteration

yadāhustārakaṃ jñānaṃ yadāhuratinirmalam | svātmārāmaṃ yadāhuśca tattatrāṃte diśāmyaham

Translation

Esse conhecimento que chamam ‘Tāraka’, que dizem ser supremamente puro, e que afirmam deleitar-se apenas no Si mesmo—isso Eu revelo ali, em sua culminação final.

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आहुः: they call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तारकम्: liberating/saving
• तारकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); विशेषण (qualifying ज्ञानम्)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आहुः: they call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अतिनिर्मलम्: exceedingly pure
• अतिनिर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); अव्ययीभावः (अति-निर्मलम् = exceedingly pure)

• स्वात्मारामम्: delighting in one’s own Self
• स्वात्मारामम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + आत्मन् + राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (स्वात्मनि रामः/रमते इति = delighting in one’s own Self)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• आहुः: they call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अन्ते: at the end/within
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• दिशामि: I bestow/point out
• दिशामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Tāraka-jñāna revelation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seekers/pilgrims within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as compassionate teacher revealing a subtle ‘tāraka’ light/word to a departing soul or to a meditating seeker in Kāśī; the river and cremation-ghāṭ silhouette in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka-jñāna
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to ‘tāraka’ knowledge—pure, self-abiding realization that ferries the soul beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where this tāraka knowledge is disclosed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the verse highlights the liberating power of jñāna (spiritual knowledge).