Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अमृतं हि भवंत्येव मृता यत्र शरीरिणः । अनुग्रहं समासाद्य परं विश्वेश्वरस्य ह

Transliteration

amṛtaṃ hi bhavaṃtyeva mṛtā yatra śarīriṇaḥ | anugrahaṃ samāsādya paraṃ viśveśvarasya ha

Translation

നിശ്ചയമായും ആ സ്ഥലത്ത് ദേഹധാരികൾ മരിച്ചാലും അമരത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; കാരണം അവർ ശ്രീ വിശ്വേശ്വരന്റെ പരമാനുഗ്രഹം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अमृतम्: immortal
• अमृतम्: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• भवन्ति: become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (only/indeed)

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (शरीरिणः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (where)

• शरीरिणः: embodied beings
• शरीरिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अनुग्रहम्: grace, favor
• अनुग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having obtained; having reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having obtained/approached)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अनुग्रहम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विश्वेश्वरस्य: of Viśveśvara
• विश्वेश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viśvasya īśvaraḥ)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (expletive/emphatic particle)

Speaker

Śiva-gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī under Viśveśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A funerary ghat scene subtly transformed: a departing soul rises toward a radiant Viśveśvara presence; the atmosphere is not grim but luminous—death turning into amṛta through grace.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara (Śiva)
• Kāśī (implied Avimukta-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, the Lord’s grace is portrayed as stronger than death—transforming mortality into the promise of liberation/immortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī under the lordship of Viśveśvara, famed for bestowing mokṣa even at the time of death.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse conveys the doctrine of salvific grace associated with passing away in Kāśī.