Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

न तपांस्यतिदीर्घाणि काश्यां मुक्त्यै शिवोर्थयेत् । वियुनक्ति न यत्काश्या उपसर्गे महत्यपि

Transliteration

na tapāṃsyatidīrghāṇi kāśyāṃ muktyai śivorthayet | viyunakti na yatkāśyā upasarge mahatyapi

Translation

Para sa kalayaan sa Kāśī, hindi hinihingi ni Śiva ang labis na mahahabang tapas. Sapagkat ang Kāśī ay hindi kailanman tumatalikod sa tao—kahit sa gitna ng napakalaking kapahamakan.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• tapāṃsi: austerities
• tapāṃsi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• ati-dīrghāṇi: excessively long
• ati-dīrghāṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (ati + dīrgha) विशेषणम् (तपांसि)

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

• muktyai: for liberation
• muktyai: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• arthayet: would seek/ask for
• arthayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arth (अर्थ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• viyunakti: separates/disjoins
• viyunakti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√yuj (युज् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• kāśyāḥ: of Kāśī
• kāśyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• upasarge: in adversity/obstacle
• upasarge: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upasarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• mahaty: great
• mahaty: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (उपसर्गे)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (concessive particle: 'even/also')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A storm or calamity looms over the city—dark clouds, wind, turmoil—yet the central shrine of Viśveśa shines steady; a devotee remains protected within the sacred precinct, symbolizing ‘Avimukta’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is described as steadfast and protective; Śiva’s grace there is not conditioned by prolonged ascetic hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as an unfailing liberating kṣetra, is the focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse discourages the idea that one must undertake extremely long austerities in Kāśī to attain mokṣa.