Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

मृतानां यत्र जंतूनां काशीप्राप्तिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम् । मंदारदामतनयो नाम्ना परिमलालयः

Transliteration

mṛtānāṃ yatra jaṃtūnāṃ kāśīprāptirbhaveddhruvam | maṃdāradāmatanayo nāmnā parimalālayaḥ

Translation

In jenem Bereich, wo für die dahingegangenen Wesen das Erlangen von Kāśī gewiss ist, lebte Mandāradāmas Sohn, mit Namen Parimalālaya.

Word by Word

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (genitive plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)

• जन्तूनाम्: of creatures
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• काशीप्राप्तिः: attainment of Kāśī
• काशीप्राप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः प्राप्तिः) (nominative singular)

• भवेत्: would be; may occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly; surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative: certainly)

• मन्दारदामतनयः: son of Mandāradāma
• मन्दारदामतनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक) + दाम (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मन्दारदामस्य तनयः) (nominative singular)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instrumental: by name)

• परिमलालयः: Parimalālaya (lit. abode of fragrance)
• परिमलालयः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परिमलस्य आलयः) (proper name)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative introduction: the ‘realm’ where the dead surely reach Kāśī; a noble Vidyādhara family scene introducing Parimalālaya, son of Mandāradāma.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Parimalālaya
• Mandāradāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa emphasizes Kāśī as a uniquely liberating destination, even in relation to the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly glorified through the motif of assured ‘Kāśī-prāpti’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse introduces a character within a Kāśī-centered salvific framework.