Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

विधाय क्षेत्रसंन्यासं ये वसंतीह मानवाः । जीवन्मुक्तास्तु ते देवि तेषां विघ्नं हराम्यहम्

Transliteration

vidhāya kṣetrasaṃnyāsaṃ ye vasaṃtīha mānavāḥ | jīvanmuktāstu te devi teṣāṃ vighnaṃ harāmyaham

Translation

女神啊，凡于此圣域（kṣetra）立下出离之志而居住于此的人，皆成“生解脱者”（jīvanmukta）；我亲自为他们除去诸般障碍。

Word by Word

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having done/after performing’

• क्षेत्रसंन्यासम्: renunciation of the kṣetra (holy place/field)
• क्षेत्रसंन्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (renunciation of the field/holy place)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वसन्ति: live/dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• जीवन्मुक्ताः: liberated while living
• जीवन्मुक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: जीवन् एव मुक्तः (liberated while living)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

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

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), बहुवचन

• विघ्नम्: obstacle
• विघ्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन

• हरामि: I remove
• हरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (likely, addressing Devī; inferred from vocative 'devi' and first-person promise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (explicit: 'devi')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant dwelling in Kāśī—simple cloth, kamaṇḍalu—performing dawn worship; unseen obstacles dissolve as Śiva’s protective gaze falls, while Devī is addressed as witness.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Jīvanmukti
• Vighna-nivṛtti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life in Kāśī with wholehearted renunciation toward the kṣetra is portrayed as a direct path to jīvanmukti, supported by divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra as a whole, revered as a liberating sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kṣetra-saṃnyāsa—adopting a renunciant orientation specifically tied to residing in the holy field (kṣetra) of Kāśī.