Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मुने प्रलयकालेपि न तत्क्षेत्रं कदाचन । विमुक्तं हि शिवाभ्यां यदविमुक्तं ततो विदुः

Transliteration

mune pralayakālepi na tatkṣetraṃ kadācana | vimuktaṃ hi śivābhyāṃ yadavimuktaṃ tato viduḥ

Translation

முனிவரே! பிரளய காலத்திலும் அந்தப் புனிதக் க்ஷேத்திரம் ஒருபோதும் கைவிடப்படாது. சிவனும் சிவையும் அதை விட்டு நீங்காததால், ஞானிகள் அதனை ‘அவிமுக்தம்’—என்றும் கைவிடப்படாதது—என்று அறிகின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — masculine, vocative, singular

• प्रलयकाले: at the time of dissolution
• प्रलयकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय-काल (प्रातिपदिक; प्रलय + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — masculine, locative, singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ — emphatic/inclusive particle

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular; विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — neuter, accusative, singular

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• विमुक्तम्: released/abandoned
• विमुक्तम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+मुच् (धातु) → विमुक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle; predicate adjective

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ — for/indeed

• शिवाभ्याम्: by Shiva (and his consort) / by the two Shivas
• शिवाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), द्विवचन — masculine, instrumental, dual

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter relative pronoun; correlates with तत्

• अविमुक्तम्: not abandoned; ‘Avimukta’
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- + विमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; वि+मुच् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — negated past participial adjective

• ततः: therefore/from that
• ततः: Hetu/Apadana (From that/तस्मात्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• विदुः: they know/they consider
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्ण/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — 3rd person plural, perfect

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (‘muni’, ‘kumbhaja’ in adjacent verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic dissolution imagery—worlds dissolving into waters and fire—yet a luminous Kāśī-kṣetra remains untouched, with Śiva and Śivā steadfastly present, signifying ‘Avimukta’.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Śiva
• Śivā (Pārvatī)
• Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)
• Pralaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge is the Lord’s unforsaken realm; Avimukta symbolizes unwavering divine presence and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed as indestructible even at pralaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it asserts the eternal status of the kṣetra, strengthening the merit of residing or dying there.