Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

तं त्वंचोपमिमीषेमुं श्मशानेन महामखम् । धर्मराट्च स्वयं यत्र धर्माधर्मैककोविदः

Transliteration

taṃ tvaṃcopamimīṣemuṃ śmaśānena mahāmakham | dharmarāṭca svayaṃ yatra dharmādharmaikakovidaḥ

Translation

Et pourtant tu compares ce grand sacrifice à un champ de crémation, alors que là se tient Dharma-rāja lui-même, seul expert à discerner dharma et adharma.

Word by Word

• तम्: that (him/it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• उपमिमीषे: you compare / you liken
• उपमिमीषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-mā (धातु; √मा उपसर्ग-उप)
• Form: लट्/वर्तमान (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु-रूपम्: उपमिमीषे

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्मशानेन: with a cremation-ground
• श्मशानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महामखम्: the great sacrifice
• महामखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-makha (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘महान् मखः’)

• धर्मराट्: Dharma-king (Yama)
• धर्मराट्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-rāj (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + राज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘धर्मस्य राजा’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphatic)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place)

• धर्माधर्मैककोविदः: the sole knower of dharma and adharma
• धर्माधर्मैककोविदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-adharma-eka-kovida (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + अधर्म + एक + कोविद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (द्वन्द्व-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः) — ‘धर्माधर्मयोः एकः कोविदः’

Speaker

Dadhīci (explicitly named as the responding muni in the immediate context at 79; this line continues the reprimand)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (śmaśāna-mahātmya frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker admonishes a skeptic: behind them, a cremation-ground merges into a radiant yajña arena; Dharma-rāja (Yama/Dharma) stands as a solemn, luminous judge holding a staff or noose, indicating dharma-adharma discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A place may look inauspicious externally, yet be supremely sacred when aligned with dharma and divine presence—Kāśī overturns ordinary notions of purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s śmaśāna-region (the cremation sacred zone), presented as a locus of dharma rather than impurity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse corrects a mistaken evaluation of sacred space by invoking Dharmarāja’s presence.