Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तेऽत्र वस्तव्यं जप्तव्यं शतरुद्रियम् । कृत्तिवासेश्वरो देवो द्रष्टव्यश्च पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

avimukte'tra vastavyaṃ japtavyaṃ śatarudriyam | kṛttivāseśvaro devo draṣṭavyaśca punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

ณ ที่นี่คืออวิมุกตะ พึงพำนักอยู่ พึงสวดชตะรุทรียะ และพึงเฝ้าดูพระกฤตติวาเสศวรผู้เป็นเทพเจ้า ซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า

Word by Word

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in Avimukta (Kāśī)’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Deictic location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• वस्तव्यम्: one should reside
• वस्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस् (धातु) → वस्तव्यम् (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be dwelt/one should stay’ (कर्तव्यता)

• जप्तव्यम्: should be recited
• जप्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) → जप्तव्यम् (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be recited’

• शतरुद्रियम्: the Śatarudriya (hymn)
• शतरुद्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-रुद्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रियं शतम्/शतरुद्र-सम्बद्धम्) — ‘Śatarudriya hymn’

• कृत्तिवासेश्वरः: Kṛttivāseśvara
• कृत्तिवासेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्रष्टव्यः: should be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘to be seen’

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

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again); युग्मप्रयोगः = ‘repeatedly’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; instructional tone within Kāśī Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta; Kṛttivāseśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or a sage interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim’s day in Avimukta: dawn residence in a small Kāśī lodging, midday recitation of Śatarudrīya with a palm-leaf text, evening repeated darśana at Kṛttivāseśvara with lamps and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kāśī/Varanasi)
• Śatarudrīya
• Kṛttivāseśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī practice is presented as a threefold discipline: live in Avimukta, recite Śatarudrīya, and repeatedly take darśana of Kṛttivāseśvara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, specifically the deity Kṛttivāseśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Residence in Avimukta, Śatarudrīya japa, and repeated darśana of Kṛttivāseśvara.