Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

निस्तीर्णोदग्रसंसारा निर्विकल्पा निरेनसः । निर्द्वंद्वा निश्चितार्थाश्च निरहंकारवृत्तयः

Transliteration

nistīrṇodagrasaṃsārā nirvikalpā nirenasaḥ | nirdvaṃdvā niścitārthāśca nirahaṃkāravṛttayaḥ

Translation

उदग्रसंसारसागरं निस्तीर्णाः, निर्विकल्पा निरेनसश्च; निर्द्वन्द्वा निश्चितार्था निरहंकारवृत्तयश्च भवन्ति।

Word by Word

• निस्तीर्ण-उदग्र-संसाराः: those who have crossed the vast cycle of worldly existence
• निस्तीर्ण-उदग्र-संसाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निस्तीर्ण (√तॄ तॄ-तरणे, क्त) + उदग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• निर्विकल्पाः: free from mental constructions/alternatives
• निर्विकल्पाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्विकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• निरेनसः: sinless, free from दोष
• निरेनसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरेनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘एनस्’ = पाप (sin)

• निर्द्वन्द्वाः: free from pairs of opposites
• निर्द्वन्द्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• निश्चित-अर्थाः: those whose purpose/meaning is firmly ascertained
• निश्चित-अर्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (√चि चि-चयन/निश्चये, क्त) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘निश्चितः अर्थः येषाम्’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• निरहंकार-वृत्तयः: whose mental tendencies are free of egoism
• निरहंकार-वृत्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरहंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अहंकार-रहिताः वृत्तयः’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भाव)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya interlocutor(s) within Skanda Purāṇa narrative frame (traditionally sages/Śaunaka group or a primary inquirer)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Śaiva yogin in Kāśī, seated near a ghāṭa with the Viśveśvara liṅga implied in the background; the river’s flow symbolizes the crossed ocean of saṃsāra; the yogin’s calm face conveys nirvikalpa and nirdvandva.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra
• Śiva-yogins (implied ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotees are described by inner freedom—sinlessness, non-duality, steadfast purpose, and the absence of ego.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context points to Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially the Viśveśvara sphere discussed in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes inner qualifications and yogic disposition.