Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

यस्तत्र निवसेद्विप्र संयतात्मा समाहितः । त्रिकालमपि भुंजानो वायुभक्षसमो भवेत्

Transliteration

yastatra nivasedvipra saṃyatātmā samāhitaḥ | trikālamapi bhuṃjāno vāyubhakṣasamo bhavet

Translation

ข้าแต่วิปฺระ (พราหมณ์) ผู้ใดพำนักอยู่ที่นั่นด้วยการสำรวมตนและจิตตั้งมั่น—แม้จะฉันอาหารถึงสามเวลา—ย่อมเป็นดุจผู้ดำรงชีพด้วยลมปราณเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• निवसेत्: should dwell
• निवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• संयतात्मा: self-controlled
• संयतात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (संयत आत्मा यस्य/संयतात्मन्)

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + हित (धा-धातु/धा-धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (collected, concentrated)

• त्रिकालम्: three times (a day)
• त्रिकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + काल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः कालाः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादबोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• भुञ्जानः: eating
• भुञ्जानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (eating)

• वायुभक्षसमः: like one who feeds on air
• वायुभक्षसमः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु + भक्ष + सम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वायुः भक्षः यस्य/वायुभक्ष) + उपमानविशेषण सम

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (addressed) / muni in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined brāhmaṇa/yogin residing near Kāśī’s ghats, calm and collected, taking simple food yet surrounded by an aura of lightness—symbolizing ‘vayubhakṣa-sama’ (as if living on air).

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta-kṣetra
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa/seeker)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Avimukta, inner discipline magnifies spiritual merit—ordinary living becomes equivalent to severe austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of residence with self-restraint (saṃyama) and concentration (samādhi-like collectedness); dietary austerity is reinterpreted through the kṣetra’s power.