Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

शुभायन यदायत्यां त्यजेत्तत्कर्म यत्नतः । अद्वारेण न गंतव्यं स्ववेश्मपरवेश्मनोः

Transliteration

śubhāyana yadāyatyāṃ tyajettatkarma yatnataḥ | advāreṇa na gaṃtavyaṃ svaveśmaparaveśmanoḥ

Translation

शुभायनं यदायत्यां तद्विघ्नकरं कर्म यत्नतः परित्यजेत्। स्ववेश्मपरवेश्मनोः अद्वारेण न गन्तव्यम्।

Word by Word

• śubhāyana: auspicious path/auspicious course
• śubhāyana: Sambodhana/Context (Vocative-like address or topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + āyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शुभम् आयनम्/मार्गः)

• yad: which
• yad: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• āyatyām: in the future
• āyatyām: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in the future/at a later time’

• tyajet: should abandon
• tyajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यागे धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tat-karmā: that action/deed
• tat-karmā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘that act’)

• yatnataḥ: carefully/with effort
• yatnataḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from effort’ = ‘carefully’

• advāreṇa: by a non-door way (not through the door)
• advāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (अद्वारः = ‘not through a door’)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• gantavyam: should be gone/entered
• gantavyam: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गमने धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is to be gone/should be entered’

• sva-veśma-para-veśmanoḥ: of one’s house and another’s house
• sva-veśma-para-veśmanoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + veśman (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक) + veśman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्ववेश्म च परवेश्म च) + षष्ठी-द्विवचन (‘of one’s house and another’s house’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kshetra (gṛha/maṭha maryādā within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī lane pauses at a doorway, hands in añjali, waiting to be invited; a subtle clock-like motif of auspicious time (sun angle, lamp lit) suggests śubha-muhūrta; the scene emphasizes thresholds and restraint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is protected by mindful behavior and respect for social and domestic boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is general within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; it frames how one should live respectfully in the holy city of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it gives conduct rules connected with maintaining śubha (auspiciousness).