Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

निर्वाणमंडपाद्रम्यादवाच्यामतिनिर्मलः । प्रासादो मेरुणा यस्य स्पर्धते कांचनोज्वलः

Transliteration

nirvāṇamaṃḍapādramyādavācyāmatinirmalaḥ | prāsādo meruṇā yasya spardhate kāṃcanojvalaḥ

Translation

মনোরম নির্বাণ-মণ্ডপের কারণে সেখানে এক অবর্ণনীয়, অতিশয় নির্মল, স্বর্ণদীপ্ত প্রাসাদ আছে, যার শোভা মেরু পর্বতের সঙ্গে প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বিতা করে।

Word by Word

• निर्वाणमण्डपात्: from the Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa
• निर्वाणमण्डपात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण-मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य मण्डपः)

• रम्यात्: beautiful
• रम्यात्: Modifier (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (निर्वाणमण्डपात्)

• अवाच्याम्: indescribable
• अवाच्याम्: Modifier (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवाच्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्रियं/कान्तिं इत्यादि अव्यक्तं पदं) — ‘indescribable’ (elliptic)

• अतिनिर्मलः: exceedingly pure
• अतिनिर्मलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण; ‘exceedingly pure’

• प्रासादः: palace/temple
• प्रासादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेरुणा: with Meru (mountain)
• मेरुणा: Karana (Standard of comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (‘whose’)

• स्पर्धते: competes
• स्पर्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पर्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, वर्तमानकाल; आत्मनेपद; प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• काञ्चनोज्ज्वलः: golden-brilliant
• काञ्चनोज्ज्वलः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन-उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (काञ्चन इव उज्ज्वलः) विशेषणम् (प्रासादस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A golden, radiant temple-palace rises beside a charming Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa; its glow rivals Mount Meru, with shimmering highlights and a sense of unearthly purity.

Characters & Entities

• Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa
• Prāsāda (temple)
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purity and glory of the sacred precinct are expressed through cosmic imagery, teaching that holy space reflects divine radiance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nirvāṇa-maṇḍapa and its radiant shrine within the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse is a eulogy of the shrine’s sanctity and splendor.