Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

कः कलिकोथवा कालः का जरा किं च दुष्कृतम् । का रुजः केंतराया वा श्रिता वाराणसी यदि

Transliteration

kaḥ kalikothavā kālaḥ kā jarā kiṃ ca duṣkṛtam | kā rujaḥ keṃtarāyā vā śritā vārāṇasī yadi

Translation

若已归依婆罗那西（Vārāṇasī），迦梨（Kali）又有何力，乃至时间又能如何？那时何谓衰老，何谓罪业？若迦尸真为归宿，疾病与障碍又算什么？

Word by Word

• कः: who/what (masc.)
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• कलिकः: Kali (age/personified)
• कलिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उत: or
• उत: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'or/also')

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• कालः: Time/Death
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• का: who/what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• जरा: old age
• जरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दुष्कृतम्: sin/evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• का: what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• रुजः: pains/diseases
• रुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (रुजः = pains/diseases)

• के: which/who (pl.)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• अन्तरायाः: obstacles
• अन्तरायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तराय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'or')

• श्रिता: resorted to/dwelling in
• श्रिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (vārāṇasī)

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• वाराणसी: Adhikarana (Locative sense implied: as the place resorted to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction: 'if')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of sages/seekers (Kāśī-māhātmya audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands fearlessly within Kāśī’s sacred precincts as shadowy figures of Kali, Time, disease, and obstacles recoil at the boundary marked by Śiva’s presence; Viśveśvara’s liṅga radiates protective light; Gaṅgā and ghāṭas frame the city.

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Kāla
• Vārāṇasī
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Kāśī is portrayed as a supreme protection where sin, decay, and worldly impediments lose their force before the sanctity of the sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī—also called Kāśī—the foremost Śaiva kṣetra associated with Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in Kāśī as a spiritual stance.