Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

निर्वाणरमणी यत्र रंकं वाऽरंकमेव वा । ब्राह्मणं वा श्वपाकं वा वृणीते प्रांत्यभूषणम्

Transliteration

nirvāṇaramaṇī yatra raṃkaṃ vā'raṃkameva vā | brāhmaṇaṃ vā śvapākaṃ vā vṛṇīte prāṃtyabhūṣaṇam

Translation

Dort erwählt die Befreiung (Nirvāṇa), gleich einer gütigen Braut, wen sie will: ob arm oder nicht arm, ob Brāhmaṇa oder gar Śvapāka; sie nimmt sie als Schmuck ihres Bereiches an.

Word by Word

• निर्वाणरमणी: the maiden/consort of nirvāṇa (liberation)
• निर्वाणरमणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + रमणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्वाणस्य रमणी = liberation’s beloved/maiden)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (where)

• रङ्कम्: a poor man
• रङ्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• अरङ्कम्: a rich man
• अरङ्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (a non-poor/wealthy person)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अवधारण (indeed/only)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• श्वपाकम्: a dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, विकल्पार्थक (or)

• वृणीते: chooses
• वृणीते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु, वृञ्-वरणे)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; Present: chooses

• प्रान्त्यभूषणम्: the ‘ornament of the region’ (epithet)
• प्रान्त्यभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रान्त्यस्य भूषणम् = the ornament of the border/region; here epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Nirvāṇa as a radiant bride garlanding diverse figures—pauper and wealthy, brāhmaṇa and śvapāka—against the backdrop of Kāśī’s ghāṭas and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Nirvāṇa (Liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s liberating power is depicted as grace that transcends social status and material condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as the realm where nirvāṇa is especially accessible.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the emphasis is on the site’s inherent salvific potency.