Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सर्वत्र ममता शून्यः सर्वत्र समतायुतः । वृक्षमूलनिकेतश्च मुमुक्षुरिह शस्यते

Transliteration

sarvatra mamatā śūnyaḥ sarvatra samatāyutaḥ | vṛkṣamūlaniketaśca mumukṣuriha śasyate

Translation

یہاں وہ مُموکشو ستودہ ہے جو ہر جگہ مَمتا سے خالی ہو، ہر جگہ سَمتا سے یُکت ہو، اور درختوں کی جڑ کے پاس اپنا ٹھکانہ بنائے۔

Word by Word

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• ममता: possessiveness/attachment
• ममता: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ममता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शून्यः: devoid (of)
• शून्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (ममता-शून्यः = ममतया शून्यः)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• समतायुतः: endowed with equanimity
• समतायुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समता (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (समतया युतः)

• वृक्षमूलनिकेतः: dwelling at the root of a tree
• वृक्षमूलनिकेतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + निकेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (वृक्षस्य मूले निकेतः/निकेतनं यस्य)

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

• मुमुक्षुः: one desiring liberation
• मुमुक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सन्-प्रत्ययान्त (desiderative) से निष्पन्न ‘मुमुक्षु’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• शस्यते: is praised/commended
• शस्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is praised/commended)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liberation-seeker under a great banyan/peepal tree near the Gaṅgā, with minimal belongings; people pass by, but he remains equal-minded, gaze steady.

Characters & Entities

• Mumukṣu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa-oriented life is characterized by non-possessiveness and even-mindedness, expressed outwardly as simple living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s mokṣa-centered instruction, though it does not name a specific ghāṭa or shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A renunciant practice of simplicity: living at the foot of trees and cultivating samatā and freedom from ‘mine-ness’.