Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अविमुक्ते महाक्षेत्रे तपस्यन्निश्चलेंद्रियः । मनोरन्वयजो वीरः क्षात्रो धर्म इवोदितः

Transliteration

avimukte mahākṣetre tapasyanniścaleṃdriyaḥ | manoranvayajo vīraḥ kṣātro dharma ivoditaḥ

Translation

Tại Avimukta, thánh địa vĩ đại (Kāśī), có một dũng sĩ thuộc giai cấp Sát-đế-lỵ, sinh trong dòng dõi Manu, tu khổ hạnh với căn lực vững bền—tựa như Chính Pháp (Dharma) tự thân hiển hiện.

Word by Word

• avimukte: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• avimukte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + vimukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter; as place-name), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahākṣetre: in the great sacred field
• mahākṣetre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• tapasyan: performing austerity
• tapasyan: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (धातु: तपस्/तप्) + yat (शतृ, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• niścalendriyaḥ: with steady senses
• niścalendriyaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścala + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• manoḥ: of Manu
• manoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• anvayajaḥ: born in the lineage (descendant)
• anvayajaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anvaya + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vīraḥ: hero
• vīraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kṣātraḥ: kṣatriya/royal
• kṣātraḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dharmaḥ: Dharma (righteousness personified)
• dharmaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• iva: like/as if
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• uditaḥ: arisen/manifested
• uditaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud + i (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the sacred expanse of Avimukta, a radiant warrior-sage of Manu’s lineage stands or sits in deep austerity—steady gaze, controlled senses—appearing like Dharma personified; subtle संकेत of Kāśī: ghats, temple spires, Gaṅgā in distance.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Manu
• Dharma
• Rājarṣi (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta/Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme field for tapas; even a kṣatriya embodies dharma through self-control and austerity there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta Mahākṣetra—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)—explicitly, as a preeminent sacred ground for austerity and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity with controlled senses) is exemplified, though not framed as a direct injunction in this verse.