Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

आजन्म मौनव्रततो यदन्यत्रफलं स्मृतम् । तदस्तु काश्यां पक्षाहः सत्यवाक्परिभाषणात्

Transliteration

ājanma maunavratato yadanyatraphalaṃ smṛtam | tadastu kāśyāṃ pakṣāhaḥ satyavākparibhāṣaṇāt

Translation

வேறிடத்தில் வாழ்நாள் முழுதும் மௌன விரதத்தால் பெறும் பலன், காசியில் பதினைந்து நாட்கள் உண்மைச் சொற்களையே பேசுவதால் நிறைவேறட்டும்।

Word by Word

• आजन्म: from birth, lifelong
• आजन्म: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + जन्मन् (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव (आ + जन्म) — “from birth/throughout life”

• मौनव्रततः: from the vow of silence
• मौनव्रततः: Apadana/Hetu (Source/Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन + व्रत (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मौनस्य व्रतम्); अपादान/हेतु — “from/through the vow of silence”

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• अन्यत्रफलम्: the fruit (gained) elsewhere
• अन्यत्रफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्यत्र + फल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्यत्र स्थितं फलम्) — “fruit obtained elsewhere”

• स्मृतम्: is stated
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; “is said/remembered”

• तत्: that (fruit)
• तत्: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (correlative)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; “let it be”

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• पक्षाहः: a fortnight
• पक्षाहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष + अहः (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पक्षस्य अहः/अहन्) — “a fortnight (period of days)”

• सत्यवाक्परिभाषणात्: from truthful speech
• सत्यवाक्परिभाषणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + वाक् + परिभाषण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सत्यं वाक् यस्य/सत्यवाक्; तस्य परिभाषणम्) — “from speaking truthful words”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands near a Kāśī shrine, right hand raised in a gentle vow-gesture, lips closed in restraint; a small group listens as he speaks only measured truth; Gaṅgā and bells in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mauna-vrata
• Satya (truth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ethical speech (truthfulness) in a sacred place can substitute for harsher austerities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where disciplined truth-speaking is said to yield extraordinary fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A fortnight of satyavāk—maintaining truthful speech—presented as a powerful observance in Kāśī.