Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

तद्विहीनाजनिरपि जल बुद्बुदवन्मुधा । तस्मादेकोपि संसाध्यः परत्रेह च शर्मणे

Transliteration

tadvihīnājanirapi jala budbudavanmudhā | tasmādekopi saṃsādhyaḥ paratreha ca śarmaṇe

Translation

แม้การเกิดที่ปราศจากสิ่งนั้นก็ไร้ผล ดุจฟองน้ำบนผิวนที เพราะฉะนั้น เพื่อความเกษมทั้งในโลกนี้และโลกหน้า พึงบำเพ็ญให้สำเร็จแม้เพียงหนึ่งเป้าหมายด้วยความเพียรจริง

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshya (correlative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vihīnā: devoid (of it)
• vihīnā: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√hā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘devoid (of)’ (ajanī-विशेषण)

• ajanī: birth, coming into being
• ajanī: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• jala: of water
• jala: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-भावः)

• budbuda-vat: like a bubble
• budbuda-vat: Visheshana (simile)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: budbuda + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; मतुप्/वत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (like a bubble)

• mudhā: in vain
• mudhā: Kriya-viseshana (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mudhā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (in vain, uselessly)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (therefore/from that)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ekaḥ: even one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (saṃsādhyaḥ-विशेषण)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even)

• saṃsādhyaḥ: should be accomplished
• saṃsādhyaḥ: Vidheyavisheshana (predicate: ought-to-be)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√sādh (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: should be accomplished), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• paratra: in the next world
• paratra: Adhikarana (domain)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paratra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/परलोकवाचक-अव्यय (in the other world)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (domain)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (and)

• śarmaṇe: for happiness/welfare
• śarmaṇe: Sampradana (purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

Speaker

Kalāvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective scene by the Gaṅgā: bubbles on water in the foreground; in the background, a cremation ghat silhouette and a pilgrim/queen pointing to the bubbles as a teaching on impermanence.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life lacking dharmic purpose is fleeting and wasted; one should seriously pursue at least one liberating, dharmic goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it supports the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s larger liberation-centered praise of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it is an exhortation toward purposeful spiritual striving.