Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ऐंद्रं पदं न वांछामो न चांद्रं नान्यदेव हि । वाञ्छामः केवलं मृत्युं काश्यां शंभोऽपुनर्भवम्

Transliteration

aiṃdraṃ padaṃ na vāṃchāmo na cāṃdraṃ nānyadeva hi | vāñchāmaḥ kevalaṃ mṛtyuṃ kāśyāṃ śaṃbho'punarbhavam

Translation

เรามิปรารถนาตำแหน่งแห่งอินทร์ มิปรารถนาสถานะแห่งจันทร์ และมิปรารถนาฐานะเทวะอื่นใดเลย โอ้ศัมภู เราปรารถนาเพียงสิ่งเดียว คือสิ้นชีพในกาศีและบรรลุภาวะไม่หวนเกิดอีก

Word by Word

• ऐन्द्रम्: Indra’s, belonging to Indra
• ऐन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पदम्)

• पदम्: state/position
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वाञ्छामः: we desire
• वाञ्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आन्द्रम्: of the Moon (lunar)
• आन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पदम् understood)

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

• अन्यत्: any other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पदम् understood)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• वाञ्छामः: we desire
• वाञ्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: only)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शम्भो: O Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• अपुनर्भवम्: not leading to rebirth
• अपुनर्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + पुनर्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मृत्युम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style, Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees with intense longing address Śambhu: behind them, symbolic thrones of Indra and Candra fade into mist, while Kāśī’s ghāṭas and Viśvanātha’s spire glow; the focal motif is a peaceful, sanctified death in Kāśī leading upward into light.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Candra
• Kāśī
• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Apunarbhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly or even heavenly attainments are secondary to final liberation; Kāśī-death under Śiva’s grace is praised as the sure path to apunarbhava.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the supreme mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the verse highlights the wish to attain liberation by departing the body in Kāśī with devotion to Śambhu.