Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तस्मादात्मसुखंप्रेप्सु रिष्टानिष्टं न चिंतयेत् । चिंतयेच्चेत्तदाचिंत्यो मोक्षोपायो न चेतरः

Transliteration

tasmādātmasukhaṃprepsu riṣṭāniṣṭaṃ na ciṃtayet | ciṃtayeccettadāciṃtyo mokṣopāyo na cetaraḥ

Translation

ฉะนั้นผู้แสวงหาความปีติแห่งอาตมัน ไม่ควรหมกมุ่นกับโชคดีหรือโชคร้าย หากจำต้องคิด ก็จงเพ่งภาวนาแด่ “ผู้ไม่อาจคิดคำนึงได้” คือปรมัตถ์สูงสุด นี่เท่านั้นเป็นอุบายแห่งโมกษะ มิใช่อื่นใด

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• आत्मसुखम्: one’s own happiness
• आत्मसुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्-सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—आत्मनः सुखम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रेप्सु: O seeker (desirous of attaining)
• प्रेप्सु: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त—आप्/आप्नोति धातोः सन्-इच्छार्थक, प्रेप्सु = इच्छुक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative), एकवचन; इच्छार्थक-विशेषण (desirous of obtaining)

• रिष्टानिष्टम्: good and bad (fortune and misfortune)
• रिष्टानिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिष्ट-अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—रिष्टं च अनिष्टं च (good and bad)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• चिन्तयेत्: should think about
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• चिन्तयेत्: should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Condition (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• अचिन्त्यः: unthinkable/inconceivable
• अचिन्त्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचिन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त—चिन्त् धातोः यत्, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मोक्षोपायः: means to liberation
• मोक्षोपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष-उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—मोक्षस्य उपायः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

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

• इतरः: anything else/another (means)
• इतरः: Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa default)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker on the Gaṅgā steps, eyes half-closed, dualities (good/bad omens) depicted as fading masks; above, an abstract luminous form of the Acintya—formless radiance with a subtle liṅga silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa/Īśvara (implied)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Transcend fixation on outcomes and contemplate the Supreme; such God-centered contemplation is presented as the direct means to mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred context, emphasizing liberation-oriented teaching associated with the Kāśī tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the prescription is inner sādhana—contemplation of the Supreme (Aciṃtya).