Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 158

Devanagari script

असिसंभेद योगेन काशीसंस्थोऽमृतो भवेत् । देहत्यागोऽत्र वै दानं देहत्यागोत्र वै तपः

Transliteration

asisaṃbheda yogena kāśīsaṃstho'mṛto bhavet | dehatyāgo'tra vai dānaṃ dehatyāgotra vai tapaḥ

Translation

凭借名为“Asisaṃbheda”的瑜伽，安住于迦尸（Kāśī）者得不死。于此处，舍身本身即是布施（dāna）；于此处，舍身本身即是苦行（tapas）。

Word by Word

• असिसंभेद: by the cutting/cleaving of the sword
• असिसंभेद: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि + संभेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (योगेन इत्यनेन सह साधनार्थे)

• योगेन: by means of/through
• योगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• काशीसंस्थः: one residing in Kāśī
• काशीसंस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी + संस्थ (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (one situated in Kāśī)

• अमृतः: immortal
• अमृतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देहत्यागः: abandoning the body
• देहत्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here (in Kāśī)
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• देहत्यागः: abandoning the body
• देहत्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्र: there/therein
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there; here used with अत्र in contrast)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kalaśaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī scene at the ghats: an aged yogin in meditation, subtle sword-like light (asi) cutting bonds; Śiva’s compassionate presence indicates liberation; the act of deha-tyāga is shown symbolically as a lotus releasing a petal, not violence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Asisaṃbheda-yoga
• Dāna
• Tapaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is taught as a mokṣa-kṣetra where liberation is uniquely accessible; even death there is sanctified as supreme spiritual offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the preeminent mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, residence in Kāśī and adherence to the liberating discipline termed Asisaṃbheda-yoga; the verse also frames dehatyāga in Kāśī as the highest dāna and tapas.