Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

स हि सर्वैर्विजिज्ञास्य आत्मैवाश्रमवर्तिभिः । श्रोतव्यस्त्वथ मंतव्यो द्रष्टव्यश्च प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

sa hi sarvairvijijñāsya ātmaivāśramavartibhiḥ | śrotavyastvatha maṃtavyo draṣṭavyaśca prayatnataḥ

Translation

அந்த ஆத்மாவே எல்லா ஆசிரம தர்மங்களில் நிலைபெற்றவர்களால் உண்மையாக அறியப்பட வேண்டியது. அதை முதலில் கேட்டு, பின்னர் சிந்தித்து, இறுதியில் முயற்சியுடன் நேரடியாக அனுபவிக்க வேண்டும்.

Word by Word

• सः: he / that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-प्रयोग

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘सर्व’ सर्वनाम-विशेषण-रूप

• विजिज्ञास्यः: to be inquired into / to be known
• विजिज्ञास्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विजिज्ञास्य (कृदन्त, इच्छार्थ-भविष्यत्कर्तव्यतार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘-अस्य’ प्रत्ययान्तः—जिज्ञास्यः = ज्ञातुम् इच्छनीयः/जिज्ञासितव्यः (to be inquired/known)

• आत्मा: the Self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: alone / indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आश्रमवर्तिभिः: by those dwelling in the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमवर्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण) / Agent group (कर्तृ-समूह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम + वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक); वर्तिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, वृत् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—आश्रमेषु वर्तन्ते इति (āśrama-vartin)

• श्रोतव्यः: to be heard
• श्रोतव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—कर्तव्य/श्रवणीय (to be heard)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/व्यतिरेक-निपात (contrastive particle)

• अथ: then / next
• अथ: Discourse connector (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• मन्तव्यः: to be contemplated
• मन्तव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मन्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—चिन्तनीय/मननीय (to be reflected upon)

• द्रष्टव्यः: to be seen / realized
• द्रष्टव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—दर्शनीय (to be seen/realized)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort / diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय; ‘-तस्’ प्रत्ययः—प्रयत्नेन/प्रयत्नपूर्वकं (adverbial)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical) / pilgrims-seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene in Kāśī: a guru instructs āśrama-dwellers seated near a ghat, with the Ganga flowing quietly; palm-leaf manuscripts present but the focus is inward—students in attentive listening, then reflective stillness, then meditative absorption.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman
• Āśrama (four stages of life)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation-oriented life in Kāśī is grounded in knowing the Self through hearing, reflection, and direct realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī), presenting the city’s dharmic atmosphere as supportive of Self-realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes the threefold discipline of śravaṇa (hearing), manana (reflection), and darśana/sākṣātkāra (direct realization).