Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

अयं मंत्रोऽनिशं जप्यः पुंभिर्मुक्तिमभीप्सुभिः । होमो दशांशकः कार्यः श्रद्धाबद्धादरैर्नृभिः

Transliteration

ayaṃ maṃtro'niśaṃ japyaḥ puṃbhirmuktimabhīpsubhiḥ | homo daśāṃśakaḥ kāryaḥ śraddhābaddhādarairnṛbhiḥ

Translation

ผู้ปรารถนามุขติควรสวดภาวนามนตร์นี้ไม่ขาดสาย และควรทำโหมะเป็นจำนวนหนึ่งในสิบของการสวด โดยผู้มีศรัทธาและความเคารพมั่นคง

Word by Word

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनिशम्: constantly
• अनिशम्: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जप्यः: to be recited
• जप्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• पुम्भिः: by men
• पुम्भिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभीप्सुभिः: desiring
• अभीप्सुभिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-ईप्सु (प्रातिपदिक; इच्छार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective) पुम्भिः-विशेषणम् (‘अभीप्सु’ = desiring)

• होमः: homa (fire-offering)
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दशांशकः: one-tenth (in measure)
• दशांशकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + अंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) होमः-विशेषणम्; समासः—द्विगु (‘दशांशः’ = one-tenth portion)

• कार्यः: to be performed
• कार्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कर्तव्यः’ (to be done)

• श्रद्धाबद्धादरैः: with reverence bound with faith
• श्रद्धाबद्धादरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा + बद्ध + आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘श्रद्धया बद्धः आदरः’ = reverence bound with faith)

• नृभिः: by men
• नृभिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small homa-kuṇḍa near a Kāśī shrine; the practitioner alternates between mālā-japa and offering oblations into a steady flame; attendants bring offerings; the atmosphere is clean, focused, and devotional.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation-oriented practice requires sustained japa supported by disciplined ritual action performed with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, but the verse itself focuses on practice (sādhana) rather than a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform homa equal to one-tenth of the total japa count (daśāṃśa-homa).