Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43
Devanagari script
यौवनं धनमायुष्यं पद्मिनीजलबिंदुवत् । अतीव चपलं ज्ञात्वाऽच्युतमेकं समाश्रयेत्
Transliteration
yauvanaṃ dhanamāyuṣyaṃ padminījalabiṃduvat | atīva capalaṃ jñātvā'cyutamekaṃ samāśrayet
Translation
当知青春、财富与寿命，如莲叶上一滴水般极其飘忽不定；明此者当唯独归依阿周多（不堕者）。
Word by Word
यौवनम्youth
यौवनम्:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootयौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
धनम्wealth
धनम्:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootधन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
आयुष्यम्life-span
आयुष्यम्:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootआयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
पद्मिनी-जल-बिन्दु-वत्like a drop of water on a lotus
पद्मिनी-जल-बिन्दु-वत्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपद्मिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
Formउपमानवाचक अव्यय (simile marker) ‘-वत्’; पूर्वपदसमूहः: पद्मिन्याः जले बिन्दुः इव (like a drop of water on a lotus-leaf/lotus)
अतीवexceedingly
अतीव:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतीव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (intensifier)
चपलम्fickle/unstable
चपलम्:
Karma (Object complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootचपल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यौवनं/धनम्/आयुष्यम् इत्यादीनां समाहारस्य)
ज्ञात्वाhaving known
ज्ञात्वा:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: ज्ञा (to know)
अच्युतम्Achyuta (Vishnu)
अच्युतम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विष्णोर्नाम
एकम्the one alone
एकम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अच्युतम्)
समाश्रयेत्should take refuge in
समाश्रयेत्:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: श्रि (to resort to) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-
Speaker
Nārada (continuing speech)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Close-up of a lotus leaf with a trembling water drop; behind it, a pilgrim in Kāśī gazes toward a blue form of Acyuta, with faint cremation-ghāṭa smoke indicating mortality awareness.
Characters & Entities
A
Acyuta (Viṣṇu)FAQs
Worldly supports are fragile; lasting safety is found in wholehearted refuge in the Lord.
No named tīrtha; it is a general renunciation-and-refuge instruction within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa.
Taking refuge (samāśraya/śaraṇāgati) in Acyuta is prescribed as the core spiritual act.