Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तमिदं क्षेत्रं कदारभ्य भुवस्तले । परां प्रथितिमापन्नं मोक्षदं चाभवत्कथम्

Transliteration

avimuktamidaṃ kṣetraṃ kadārabhya bhuvastale | parāṃ prathitimāpannaṃ mokṣadaṃ cābhavatkatham

Translation

ตั้งแต่กาลใดบนพื้นพิภพนี้ “อวิมุกตะ” อันเป็นเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์จึงได้ชื่อเสียงสูงสุด และเหตุใดจึงเป็นผู้ประทานโมกษะได้?

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तम्: unabandoned; ‘Avimukta’
• अविमुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; वि+मुच् धातु से निष्पन्न कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; संकेतक-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• क्षेत्रम्: sacred field/holy place
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kāla (Time—interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: time)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Apādāna/Avadhi (Starting point)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘starting from’ अर्थे

• भुवः: of the earth
• भुवः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भुवः’ = ‘पृथिव्याः’

• तले: on the surface
• तले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme, great
• पराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘प्रथितिम्’)

• प्रथितिम्: fame, renown
• प्रथितिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आपन्नम्: having attained
• आपन्नम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Predicate participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तम्/गतं’ अर्थे

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + द (प्रातिपदिक); √दा (धातु) से ‘द’ (देय/दाता) भाव
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षं ददाति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘क्षेत्रम्’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prakāra (Manner—interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: manner)

Speaker

Agastya (deduced; questioner in Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage asks about the primordial origin and fame of Avimukta on earth—an inquiry framed against the luminous skyline of Kāśī with Gaṅgā flowing and distant temple spires, suggesting timeless sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Kṣetra
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is presented as place-linked grace in Kāśī: Avimukta is famed because it is upheld as a mokṣa-bestowing sacred field.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra—Kāśī/Varanasi, the central sacred region of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse frames an inquiry into the origin and mokṣa-power of the kṣetra.