Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

धन्योस्म्यनुगृहीतोस्मि त्वत्त्रिशूलाग्रसंस्थितः । कालेन सर्वैर्मर्तव्यं श्रेयसे मृत्युरीदृशः

Transliteration

dhanyosmyanugṛhītosmi tvattriśūlāgrasaṃsthitaḥ | kālena sarvairmartavyaṃ śreyase mṛtyurīdṛśaḥ

Translation

Je suis béni, je suis comblé de grâce, placé à la pointe de ton trident. Avec le temps, tous doivent mourir; mais une mort telle que celle-ci mène au Bien suprême.

Word by Word

• धन्यः: fortunate, blessed
• धन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अनुगृहीतः: favoured
• अनुगृहीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + √ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘favoured/graced’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (त्वद्-), षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-आश्रय (stem used in compounds) ‘of you/than you’

• त्रिशूलाग्रसंस्थितः: standing on the trident’s tip
• त्रिशूलाग्रसंस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिशूल + अग्र + सम् + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: त्रिशूलस्य अग्रे (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष) + संस्थितः ‘standing on the tip of the trident’

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by Time’

• सर्वैः: by all (people)
• सर्वैः: Kartr (Agent in passive)/कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; instrumental ‘by all’ (agent in passive sense)

• मर्तव्यम्: must die
• मर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता ‘must die’ (impersonal necessity)

• श्रेयसे: for welfare, for the better
• श्रेयसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; dative ‘for the good/betterment’

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ईदृशः: such (a one)
• ईदृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative adjective ‘such (as this)’

Speaker

Gajāsura

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame audience (not specified in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A beatific tableau: Gajāsura declares himself blessed on the triśūla’s tip; Śiva’s face radiates compassion and inevitability; time (Kāla) is suggested symbolically—fading battlefield, rising spiritual light.

Characters & Entities

• Gajāsura
• Śiva
• Triśūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When death is embraced as divine grace, it becomes śreyas (spiritual welfare) rather than mere loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s mokṣa-oriented vision is the implied background: Śiva’s presence makes even the end of life spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes inner orientation (bhāva) and grace.