Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

विसृज्य पार्थिवं देहं तेन पुण्येन नोदिताः । भवंति देवि नियतं गणा मम पुरोगमाः

Transliteration

visṛjya pārthivaṃ dehaṃ tena puṇyena noditāḥ | bhavaṃti devi niyataṃ gaṇā mama purogamāḥ

Translation

Ayant rejeté le corps terrestre, poussés en avant par ce mérite, ô Déesse, ils deviennent assurément mes gaṇa, mes serviteurs, allant devant moi.

Word by Word

• विसृज्य: having cast off
• विसृज्य: Kriya (Non-finite verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having abandoned/released’

• पार्थिवम्: earthly
• पार्थिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देहम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देहम्: body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम—‘by that’

• पुण्येन: by (that) merit
• पुण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नोदिताः: not impelled (by it)
• नोदिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न-उदित (प्रातिपदिक; √उद् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास/नकार-पूर्वक—‘अनुदिताः’ (not impelled/ not prompted)

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• नियतम्: certainly/inevitably
• नियतम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative)

• गणाः: attendant hosts (gaṇas)
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पुरोगमाः: going before (as leaders)
• पुरोगमाः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गम (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘पुरः गच्छन्ति’ (going in front)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Gaurī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the moment of death, the devotee’s subtle form rises, guided by the force of merit, and is received into Śiva’s gaṇa retinue, moving in procession before the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Skanda
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meritorious acts done in the sacred frame of Kāśī elevate the soul after death toward divine proximity and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī overall, in the Adhyāya 25 sequence praising Triviṣṭapa-liṅga and connected tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse refers to the fruit of prior prescribed rites (offerings/vows) rather than stating a new procedure.