Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सर्वत्र ममता शून्यः सर्वत्र समतायुतः । वृक्षमूलनिकेतश्च मुमुक्षुरिह शस्यते

Transliteration

sarvatra mamatā śūnyaḥ sarvatra samatāyutaḥ | vṛkṣamūlaniketaśca mumukṣuriha śasyate

Translation

ในที่นี้ ผู้ใฝ่โมกษะเป็นที่สรรเสริญ คือผู้ว่างจากความยึดถือทุกแห่ง มีความเสมอภาคทุกแห่ง และตั้งที่อยู่ ณ โคนไม้

Word by Word

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• ममता: possessiveness/attachment
• ममता: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ममता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शून्यः: devoid (of)
• शून्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (ममता-शून्यः = ममतया शून्यः)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• समतायुतः: endowed with equanimity
• समतायुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समता (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (समतया युतः)

• वृक्षमूलनिकेतः: dwelling at the root of a tree
• वृक्षमूलनिकेतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + निकेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (वृक्षस्य मूले निकेतः/निकेतनं यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मुमुक्षुः: one desiring liberation
• मुमुक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सन्-प्रत्ययान्त (desiderative) से निष्पन्न ‘मुमुक्षु’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• शस्यते: is praised/commended
• शस्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is praised/commended)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liberation-seeker under a great banyan/peepal tree near the Gaṅgā, with minimal belongings; people pass by, but he remains equal-minded, gaze steady.

Characters & Entities

• Mumukṣu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa-oriented life is characterized by non-possessiveness and even-mindedness, expressed outwardly as simple living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s mokṣa-centered instruction, though it does not name a specific ghāṭa or shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A renunciant practice of simplicity: living at the foot of trees and cultivating samatā and freedom from ‘mine-ness’.