Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

क्षालितं मुक्तिपुर्यद्भिराशुगंतृशरीरकम् । कोविदोऽस्ति भवानेव जीविते जीवितेतरे

Transliteration

kṣālitaṃ muktipuryadbhirāśugaṃtṛśarīrakam | kovido'sti bhavāneva jīvite jīvitetare

Translation

“முக்திபுரியின் நீர்கள் விரைவில் விலகும் உன் உடலைத் தூய்மைப்படுத்தின; வாழ்விலும் வாழ்வுக்குப் பின்பும் உண்மையான விவேகி நீயே.”

Word by Word

• kṣālitam: has been washed/cleansed
• kṣālitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣāl (धातु) + ita (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), भूतकर्मणि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mukti-puri-yadbhiḥ: by those in Muktipurī (Kāśī)
• mukti-puri-yadbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक) + yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (मुक्तिपुर्यां यद्भिः = by those who are in the city of liberation)

• āśu-gantṛ-śarīrakam: the quickly-moving body
• āśu-gantṛ-śarīrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + gantṛ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + śarīraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (आशु गन्तुः शरीरकम् = body of one who goes quickly)

• kovidaḥ: a wise/learned person
• kovidaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• bhavān: you (honorific)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थक-प्रयोग (honorific you)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक (indeed, only)

• jīvite: in life
• jīvite: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• jīvita-itare: in the state other than life (after death)
• jīvita-itare: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक) + itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (jīvitāt itare = in what is other than life, i.e., after death)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muktipurī Kāśī (Gaṅgā snāna at Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharmarāja points toward the sacred waters of Kāśī; Śivaśarman stands near a ghāṭa, wet from bathing, with a calm, detached expression; the river glows as if washing away subtle impurities; the body’s fragility is suggested by gentle, fading light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Muktipurī)
• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sanctity is liberation-oriented—its sacred waters symbolize purification, and wisdom lies in preparing for the beyond.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is explicitly praised as “Muktipurī,” the famed city that grants release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is tīrtha-snāna—purificatory contact with the sacred waters of Kāśī (Muktipurī).