Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारि प्रकरणं ततः स्त्रीलक्षणानि च । कृत्याकृत्यप्रकरणमविमुक्तेशवर्णनम्

Transliteration

brahmacāri prakaraṇaṃ tataḥ strīlakṣaṇāni ca | kṛtyākṛtyaprakaraṇamavimukteśavarṇanam

Translation

ต่อมาคือหมวดว่าด้วยวินัยพรหมจรรย์; และลักษณะของสตรี; หมวดว่าด้วยสิ่งที่ควรกระทำและสิ่งที่ควรเว้น; และคำพรรณนาแห่งอวิมุกเตศะ

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारि: brahmacārin; celibate student
• ब्रह्मचारि: Sambandha (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक) = ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास-प्रातिपदिक (ब्रह्मणि चारि)

• प्रकरणम्: section; topic
• प्रकरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) क्रमवाचक

• स्त्रीलक्षणानि: characteristics of women
• स्त्रीलक्षणानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रीलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) = स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्त्रियाः लक्षणानि)

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

• कृत्याकृत्यप्रकरणम्: the section on what should and should not be done
• कृत्याकृत्यप्रकरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्याकृत्यप्रकरण (प्रातिपदिक) = कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (कृत्यं च अकृत्यं च) तत्पुरुषेण प्रकरण-सम्बन्धः (कृत्याकृत्ययोः प्रकरणम्)

• अविमुक्तेशवर्णनम्: description of Avimukteśa (Śiva)
• अविमुक्तेशवर्णनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्तेशवर्णन (प्रातिपदिक) = अविमुक्तेश (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अविमुक्तेशस्य वर्णनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśa (Avimukta-kṣetra, Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a teacher expounds brahmacarya and kṛtya-akṛtya to pilgrims; the city of Kāśī forms the backdrop; Avimukteśa shrine shines at the center, symbolizing the goal of disciplined pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Avimukteśa
• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī Māhātmya integrates tīrtha-glory with dharma instruction—inner discipline and ethical discernment support devotion to Avimukteśa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukteśa/Avimukta—Śiva’s central liberating presence in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya is indicated as a disciplined observance; specific rituals are not enumerated in this verse.