Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

मानुष्यं प्राप्य यं मूढा निमेषमितजीवितम् । न सेवंते पुरीं काशीं ते मुष्टा मंदबुद्धयः

Transliteration

mānuṣyaṃ prāpya yaṃ mūḍhā nimeṣamitajīvitam | na sevaṃte purīṃ kāśīṃ te muṣṭā maṃdabuddhayaḥ

Translation

وہ احمق جو انسانی زندگی پا کر، جو پلک جھپکنے کی طرح مختصر ہے، کاشی شہر کی خدمت نہیں کرتے، وہ بدقسمت اور کم عقل ہیں۔

Word by Word

• मानुष्यम्: human state; human birth
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative pronoun)

• मूढाः: the deluded; fools
• मूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेष्यवत् (used substantively: ‘fools’)

• निमेषमितजीवितम्: having life measured in a blink (very short-lived)
• निमेषमितजीवितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमेष-मित-जीवित (प्रातिपदिक; निमेष + मित + जीवित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निमेषेण मितं जीवितं यस्य); विशेषण (यम्/मानुष्यम्)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• सेवन्ते: they serve/visit
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुरीम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/समानााधिकरण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मुष्टाः: wretched; contemptible
• मुष्टाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• मन्दबुद्धयः: dull-witted ones
• मन्दबुद्धयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्द-बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; मन्द + बुद्धि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (मन्दा बुद्धिः येषाम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience; especially householders delaying pilgrimage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a wise speaker gestures toward Kāśī’s shining temples while some distracted people turn away; the contrast highlights the pity of missing a fleeting chance—time symbolized by a setting sun and a blinking eye motif.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Human birth

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fleeting; failing to seek the liberating refuge of Kāśī is portrayed as spiritual negligence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-purī (the city of Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā of Kāśī-purī is urged—practically implying pilgrimage, reverent residence, worship, and disciplined conduct in the sacred city.