Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

स हि सर्वैर्विजिज्ञास्य आत्मैवाश्रमवर्तिभिः । श्रोतव्यस्त्वथ मंतव्यो द्रष्टव्यश्च प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

sa hi sarvairvijijñāsya ātmaivāśramavartibhiḥ | śrotavyastvatha maṃtavyo draṣṭavyaśca prayatnataḥ

Translation

Ang Sarili lamang ang dapat tunay na makilala ng lahat ng namumuhay sa mga disiplina ng buhay (mga āśrama). Dapat itong pakinggan, saka pagnilayan, at sa huli’y tuwirang makita—sa taimtim na pagsisikap.

Word by Word

• सः: he / that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-प्रयोग

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘सर्व’ सर्वनाम-विशेषण-रूप

• विजिज्ञास्यः: to be inquired into / to be known
• विजिज्ञास्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विजिज्ञास्य (कृदन्त, इच्छार्थ-भविष्यत्कर्तव्यतार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘-अस्य’ प्रत्ययान्तः—जिज्ञास्यः = ज्ञातुम् इच्छनीयः/जिज्ञासितव्यः (to be inquired/known)

• आत्मा: the Self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) / Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• आश्रमवर्तिभिः: by those dwelling in the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमवर्तिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण) / Agent group (कर्तृ-समूह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम + वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक); वर्तिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, वृत् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—आश्रमेषु वर्तन्ते इति (āśrama-vartin)

• श्रोतव्यः: to be heard
• श्रोतव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—कर्तव्य/श्रवणीय (to be heard)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/व्यतिरेक-निपात (contrastive particle)

• अथ: then / next
• अथ: Discourse connector (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• मन्तव्यः: to be contemplated
• मन्तव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मन्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—चिन्तनीय/मननीय (to be reflected upon)

• द्रष्टव्यः: to be seen / realized
• द्रष्टव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययः—दर्शनीय (to be seen/realized)

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

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort / diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Adverbial modifier (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय; ‘-तस्’ प्रत्ययः—प्रयत्नेन/प्रयत्नपूर्वकं (adverbial)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical) / pilgrims-seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene in Kāśī: a guru instructs āśrama-dwellers seated near a ghat, with the Ganga flowing quietly; palm-leaf manuscripts present but the focus is inward—students in attentive listening, then reflective stillness, then meditative absorption.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman
• Āśrama (four stages of life)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation-oriented life in Kāśī is grounded in knowing the Self through hearing, reflection, and direct realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī), presenting the city’s dharmic atmosphere as supportive of Self-realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; it emphasizes the threefold discipline of śravaṇa (hearing), manana (reflection), and darśana/sākṣātkāra (direct realization).