Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

मरणं मंगलं यत्र विभूतिर्यत्र भूषणम् । कौपीनं यत्र कौशेयं काशी कुत्रोपमीयते

Transliteration

maraṇaṃ maṃgalaṃ yatra vibhūtiryatra bhūṣaṇam | kaupīnaṃ yatra kauśeyaṃ kāśī kutropamīyate

Translation

Là où la mort elle-même devient de bon augure, où la cendre sacrée est parure, où même le pagne vaut la soie : quel lieu pourrait être comparé à Kāśī ?

Word by Word

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• मङ्गलम्: auspicious (a blessing)
• मङ्गलम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicate nominative (auspicious)

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

• विभूतिः: sacred ash / glory
• विभूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

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

• भूषणम्: ornament
• भूषणम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate nominative (ornament)

• कौपीनम्: loincloth
• कौपीनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

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

• कौशेयम्: silk (garment)
• कौशेयम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate nominative (silk garment)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• कुत्र: where (else)
• कुत्र: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक-देशवाचक (where?)

• उपमीयते: is compared
• उपमीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-मा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; Passive/ātmanepada usage: is compared

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) with Maṇikarṇikā-ghāṭa ambience

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic figure in Kāśī with vibhūti-smeared body and simple kaupīna, standing near ghāṭa fires; the city glows as if the loincloth were silk and ash were jewelry.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vibhūti (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, renunciation and Śaiva sacredness transform even death and poverty into spiritual auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), upheld as incomparable among sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it praises Śaiva marks (vibhūti) and the ascetic ideal as spiritually eminent in Kāśī.