Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सर्वपूज्यशिलानां वै शालग्राम शिला भवान् । मुक्तिक्षेत्रेषु काशी त्वं प्रयागस्तीर्थपंक्तिषु

Transliteration

sarvapūjyaśilānāṃ vai śālagrāma śilā bhavān | muktikṣetreṣu kāśī tvaṃ prayāgastīrthapaṃktiṣu

Translation

Parmi toutes les pierres dignes de vénération, tu es la pierre Śālagrāma. Parmi les lieux de délivrance, tu es Kāśī ; et parmi les rangs des tīrthas sacrés, tu es Prayāga.

Word by Word

• सर्वपूज्यशिलानाम्: of all venerable stones
• सर्वपूज्यशिलानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पूज्य + शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विशेषणपूर्वपद-समासः: सर्वपूज्याः शिलाः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• शालग्राम: Śālagrāma
• शालग्राम: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नाम)

• शिला: stone
• शिला: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थे द्वितीयपुरुषार्थकः

• मुक्तिक्षेत्रेषु: among liberation-places
• मुक्तिक्षेत्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मुक्तेः क्षेत्राणि)

• काशी: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशी: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नाम)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थक-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रयागः: Prayāga
• प्रयागः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (नाम)

• तीर्थपंक्तिषु: among rows/series of tīrthas
• तीर्थपंक्तिषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + पंक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: तीर्थाणां पंक्तयः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī; Prayāga; Śālagrāma (as worship-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Threefold emblem panel: (1) Śālagrāma-śilā on a pedestal with tulasī and water-pot; (2) Kāśī skyline with temple spires and Gaṅgā ghāṭas; (3) Prayāga Triveṇī Saṅgam with confluence waters and pilgrims—suggesting a sacred map of liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Śālagrāma-śilā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Prayāga (Prayāgraj)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is anchored in sacred geography: Kāśī is exalted as a foremost mokṣa-kṣetra, while key icons and tīrthas embody divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is explicitly praised as a mukti-kṣetra; Prayāga is praised as foremost among tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implies reverence for Śālagrāma worship and tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage), especially to Kāśī and Prayāga.