Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

महाश्मशान इति च कथं ख्यातं शिखिध्वज । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं संदेहं मेऽपनोदय

Transliteration

mahāśmaśāna iti ca kathaṃ khyātaṃ śikhidhvaja | etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ saṃdehaṃ me'panodaya

Translation

Und wie wurde sie als «Mahāśmaśāna» berühmt, o Śikhidhvaja? Dies wünsche ich zu hören; nimm meinen Zweifel hinweg.

Word by Word

• महाश्मशानम्: the great cremation-ground
• महाश्मशानम्: Karma (Name as object of ‘ख्यातम्’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् श्मशानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (नाम)

• इति: thus
• इति: Nipāta (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prakāra (Manner—interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (manner)

• ख्यातम्: became known; is famed
• ख्यातम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Predicate participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्रसिद्धम्’ अर्थे

• शिखिध्वज: O Śikhidhvaja (one whose banner is a peacock)
• शिखिध्वज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखि + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (शिखी ध्वजो यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधन-नाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• इच्छामि: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive; ‘श्रवणार्थम्’

• सन्देहम्: doubt
• सन्देहम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मम’ (enclitic)

• अपनोदय: remove, dispel
• अपनोदय: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√नुद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Agastya (deduced; continuing interrogatives)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāśmaśāna (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A direct question about why Kāśī is famed as Mahāśmaśāna: the scene juxtaposes funeral fires with serene spiritual radiance, showing pilgrims contemplating mortality while Śiva’s unseen protection pervades.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāśmaśāna
• Śikhidhvaja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the cremation ground is framed as sacred in Kāśī—hinting that death itself, in this kṣetra, is integrated into the path to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as ‘Mahāśmaśāna’—the sanctified cremation-ground dimension of Avimukta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it requests the narrative explanation for the epithet ‘Mahāśmaśāna’.