Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

न वर्ण्यते कैः किल काशिकेयं जंतोः स्थितस्यात्र यतोंतकाले । पचेलिमैः प्राक्कृतपुण्यभारैरोंकारमोंकारयतींदुमौलिः

Transliteration

na varṇyate kaiḥ kila kāśikeyaṃ jaṃtoḥ sthitasyātra yatoṃtakāle | pacelimaiḥ prākkṛtapuṇyabhārairoṃkāramoṃkārayatīṃdumauliḥ

Translation

Wer könnte wahrlich diese Größe von Kāśī schildern für ein Wesen, das hier zur Stunde des Todes verweilt? Denn durch die gereifte Last der in früheren Leben gesammelten Verdienste lässt der mondbekrönte Herr (Śiva) es den heiligen Oṃkāra sprechen.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is described)

• कैः: by whom
• कैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; खलु/श्रुत्यर्थक (indeed/it is said)

• काशिकेयम्: this (glory) of Kāśī
• काशिकेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिकेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; काशीसम्बन्धि

• जन्तोः: of a creature/person
• जन्तोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• स्थितस्य: of one residing
• स्थितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (of one who is staying)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• यतः: since/whereby
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/यत्-सम्बन्धी-अव्यय (since/from which)

• अन्त-काले: at the time of death
• अन्त-काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समये (at the final time)

• पचेलिमैः: by fully matured
• पचेलिमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पचेलिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ripened/fully matured)

• प्राक्-कृत-पुण्य-भारैः: by masses of past merit
• प्राक्-कृत-पुण्य-भारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; साधन/हेतौ (by the load of previously done merits)

• ओंकारम्: the syllable Oṃ
• ओंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ओंकारयति: causes (one) to utter Oṃ
• ओंकारयति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ओंकारय् (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच् (causative denominative: makes (one) utter Oṃ)

• इन्दु-मौलिः: the moon-crested one (Śiva)
• इन्दु-मौलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (he whose crest is the moon)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene deathbed scene on a Kāśī ghat: the departing soul is calm; above, Moon-crested Śiva leans close, imparting Oṃ; the syllable appears as luminous script entering the ear/heart; attendants hold lamps; Ganga flows quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Anta-kāla (time of death)
• Indumauli (Śiva)
• Oṃkāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dying in Kāśī is portrayed as uniquely liberating, where Śiva himself grants the saving mantra through accumulated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the supreme mokṣa-kṣetra, especially at the moment of death (anta-kāla).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual action by the devotee, but a grace-event: Śiva causes the utterance of Oṃkāra at death.