Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अनेनैव शरीरेण पार्थिवेन प्रथीयसी । दमनस्य निशम्येति गर्गाचार्यो वचस्तदा

Transliteration

anenaiva śarīreṇa pārthivena prathīyasī | damanasya niśamyeti gargācāryo vacastadā

Translation

दमनस्य वचः श्रुत्वा गर्गाचार्यस्तदा वदत्—अनेनैव पार्थिवेन देहेन त्वं नूनं प्रथां यास्यसि, सिद्धिं च प्राप्स्यसि।

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (instrumental singular of pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• शरीरेण: with the body
• शरीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पार्थिवेन: earthly/material
• पार्थिवेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śarīreṇa)

• प्रथीयसी: you will flourish/become eminent
• प्रथीयसी: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prath (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; (you) become renowned/prosper

• दमनस्य: of Damana
• दमनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: damana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• निशम्य: having heard
• निशम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-śam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• गर्गाचार्यः: Garga the teacher
• गर्गाचार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garga (प्रातिपदिक) + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gargasya ācāryaḥ)

• वचः: words/speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Garga

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (frame) / internal: disciples including Damanā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garga-ācārya, seated among attentive disciples, speaks a consoling, empowering sentence to Damanā, indicating embodied eminence; a quiet āśrama setting with sacred implements.

Characters & Entities

• Garga
• Damanā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation-oriented attainment is not escapism; the path is realizable here and now, even in the embodied condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s setting is Kāśī/Avimukta, though this verse focuses on Garga’s assurance to the seeker.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the teacher’s forthcoming instruction.