Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

संसार भयभीताय ये ये बद्धाः कर्मबंधनैः । येषां क्वापि गतिर्नास्ति तेषां वाराणसी गतिः

Transliteration

saṃsāra bhayabhītāya ye ye baddhāḥ karmabaṃdhanaiḥ | yeṣāṃ kvāpi gatirnāsti teṣāṃ vārāṇasī gatiḥ

Translation

ผู้ที่หวาดหวั่นต่อสังสารวัฏ ผู้ที่ถูกพันธนาการด้วยโซ่ตรวนแห่งกรรม—ผู้ที่ไม่มีที่พึ่ง ณ ที่ใดเลย; สำหรับเขา วาราณสีคือที่พึ่งและหนทาง

Word by Word

• संसार: of worldly existence
• संसार: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'संसारस्य' इत्यर्थे (पाठे 'संसार' इति)

• भयभीताः: frightened by fear
• भयभीताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + भी (धातु) → भीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (भयेन भीताः)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ये: who (indeed)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• बद्धाः: bound
• बद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये)

• कर्मबंधनैः: by the bonds of karma
• कर्मबंधनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-बंधन (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मन् + बन्धन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणां बन्धनैः)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चित-स्थानार्थक

• गतिः: refuge/way
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: for them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गतिः: refuge/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (quoted saying; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame tradition: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim haunted by the wheel of births sees chains (karma-bandhana) dissolve as he steps onto Kāśī’s ghāṭs; above, Śiva’s presence is felt as a calm, moonlit assurance.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kāśī
• Saṃsāra
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a mokṣa-leaning refuge where karmic bondage and fear of saṃsāra are met with divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse highlights the soteriological (liberation) promise associated with Kāśī.