Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

विषादे कारणं चैतद्यतो जातमिदं जगत् । यस्मिन्प्रवर्तते यत्र लयमेष्यति च ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

viṣāde kāraṇaṃ caitadyato jātamidaṃ jagat | yasminpravartate yatra layameṣyati ca dhruvam

Translation

یہی غم سبب بنا جس سے یہ جہان پیدا ہوا؛ اسی میں یہ چلتا ہے، اور یقیناً آخرکار اسی میں فنا ہو جائے گا۔

Word by Word

• विषादे: in sorrow, in dejection
• विषादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य/निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• यतः: from which; because of which
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal/relative adverb: 'from which/wherefrom')

• जातम्: born; arisen
• जातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (that which is born)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of जगत्)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (relative locative)

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds; functions; arises
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• लयम्: dissolution; absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (goal)

• एष्यति: will go; will attain
• एष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• ध्रुवम्: certainly; surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: certainly)

Speaker

Dadhīci (addressing Satī/Dākṣāyaṇī, contextually within Skanda-to-Agastya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative speaker in Kāśī describes the cosmos as arising and dissolving in viṣāda; the background suggests ghāṭas, the Gaṅgā, and a dim cremation-ground glow—symbolizing pralaya and release.

Characters & Entities

• Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī)
• Dadhīci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames grief as a powerful existential force, pointing to the cyclic nature of creation, continuance, and dissolution, urging detachment and deeper inquiry into ultimate reality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is philosophical and does not name a tīrtha, but it occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, whose overarching frame glorifies Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the supreme sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.