Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

श्मशानानां च सर्वेषां श्मशानं परमं महत् । पीठानां परमं पीठमूषराणां महोषरम्

Transliteration

śmaśānānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ śmaśānaṃ paramaṃ mahat | pīṭhānāṃ paramaṃ pīṭhamūṣarāṇāṃ mahoṣaram

Translation

“ໃນບັນດາປ່າຊ້າ (śmaśāna) ທັງປວງ ທີ່ນີ້ແມ່ນປ່າຊ້າອັນສູງສຸດແລະຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່; ໃນບັນດາປີຖະ (pīṭha) ທັງປວງ ທີ່ນີ້ແມ່ນປີຖະສູງສຸດ; ແລະໃນບັນດາດິນກັນດານທັງຫມົດ ທີ່ນີ້ແມ່ນ ‘ມະຫາອຸສະຣະ’ ອັນເຫນືອກວ່າທັງປວງ.”

Word by Word

• श्मशानानाम्: of cremation grounds
• श्मशानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of cremation grounds’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठीविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of all’—विशेषणं ‘श्मशानानाम्’

• श्मशानम्: the cremation ground
• श्मशानम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate nominative)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘श्मशानम्’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘श्मशानम्’

• पीठानाम्: of sacred seats
• पीठानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of seats/holy seats’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘पीठम्’

• पीठम्: seat, holy seat
• पीठम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate nominative)

• ऊषराणाम्: of barren tracts
• ऊषराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of barren lands/saline tracts’

• महोषरम्: the greatest barren tract
• महोषरम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘great barren tract’ (as superlative among ūṣaras)

Speaker

Kumbhayoni (Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī) as supreme Śmaśāna/Pīṭha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya continues: Kāśī shown as a luminous cremation ground—pyres at the riverbank, yet suffused with sacred light; a ‘pīṭha’ seat motif (lotus-throne/yantra) overlays the scene, expressing paradoxical auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kumbhayoni)
• Avimukta (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s holiness is portrayed through paradox: even ‘cremation ground’ imagery becomes a sign of liberation and transcendence under Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta/Kāśī as the supreme sacred seat and the paradigmatic śmaśāna of Śaiva liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a mahātmya-style exaltation of the place.