Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अतिवाह्यायुषोभागं तृतीयमिति कानने । आयुषस्तु तुरीयांशे त्यक्त्वा संगान्परिव्रजेत्

Transliteration

ativāhyāyuṣobhāgaṃ tṛtīyamiti kānane | āyuṣastu turīyāṃśe tyaktvā saṃgānparivrajet

Translation

既已在林中度过寿命的第三分，至第四分之时——舍弃一切系缚与执著——应出离而行，作云游的出家者。

Word by Word

• ativāhya: having spent/passed
• ativāhya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati + √vah (वह् धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययभावकृदन्त (gerundive absolutive sense) ‘अतिवाह्य’ = having passed/spent (time)

• āyuṣaḥ: of life
• āyuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• bhāgam: a portion
• bhāgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tṛtīyam: the third
• tṛtīyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भāgam इति विशेषणम्

• iti: thus/as
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• kānane: in the forest
• kānane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• āyuṣaḥ: of life
• āyuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• turīya-aṃśe: in the fourth part (of life)
• turīya-aṃśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turīya + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तुरीयांश = ‘fourth part’

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having abandoned’

• saṃgān: attachments/associations
• saṃgān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• parivrajet: should wander forth (as a renunciant)
• parivrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should become a wandering mendicant’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An elder ascetic leaves a forest hermitage, cutting the last bonds of attachment; he steps onto a road with staff and begging bowl, turning away from former ties; the background shifts from dense forest (third stage) to open path (fourth stage).

Characters & Entities

• Parivrājaka (renunciant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is structured for gradual detachment: disciplined withdrawal culminates in full renunciation and freedom from clinging.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s spiritual culture, presenting the renunciant path aligned with Kāśī’s mokṣa-oriented identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An āśrama prescription: after forest-dwelling in the third life-stage, one should take up parivrājya (wandering renunciation) in the fourth.