Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अयि द्विज महाप्राज्ञ जाने त्वां शिवशर्मक । साधूकृतं त्वया वत्स सुतीर्थप्राणमोक्षणात्

Transliteration

ayi dvija mahāprājña jāne tvāṃ śivaśarmaka | sādhūkṛtaṃ tvayā vatsa sutīrthaprāṇamokṣaṇāt

Translation

“ഹേ മഹാപ്രാജ്ഞ ദ്വിജാ, ശിവശർമനേ! നിന്നെ ഞാൻ അറിയുന്നു. വത്സാ, നീ നന്നായി ചെയ്തു— കാരണം നീ സുതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ പ്രാണത്യാഗം ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നു।”

Word by Word

• ayi: O!
• ayi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ayi (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधनार्थक-अव्ययम् (vocative particle)

• dvija: O brāhmaṇa
• dvija: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• mahā-prājña: O greatly wise one
• mahā-prājña: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—“महान् प्राज्ञः”

• jāne: I know
• jāne: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śivaśarmaka: O Śivaśarmaka
• śivaśarmaka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarman (प्रातिपदिक) + -ka (क प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-नामधेयम्—“शिवस्य शर्म” (auspicious-bliss), क-प्रत्ययान्त

• sādhu-kṛtam: a good deed / well done
• sādhu-kṛtam: Karman (Object of implied praise/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः—“साधु कृतम्” (a good deed / well done)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vatsa: O dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• su-tīrtha-prāṇa-mokṣaṇāt: from (the act of) giving up life at the holy tīrtha
• su-tīrtha-prāṇa-mokṣaṇāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“सुतीर्थे प्राणमोक्षणम्” (releasing life at the holy ford)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Su-tīrtha (unnamed ford within Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman (brāhmaṇa) and the two gaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā addresses the brāhmaṇa by name—Śivaśarman—speaking with affectionate authority, praising him for relinquishing life at a su-tīrtha; gaṇas witness with approval.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śivaśarman
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the Purāṇic vision, death embraced in a sanctified tīrtha-context (with dharma) is praised as spiritually fruitful rather than fearful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘su-tīrtha’ is praised; within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame this points to the tīrtha-power of Kāśī’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse commends prāṇa-mokṣaṇa at a tīrtha (holy-place death) as a spiritually meritorious culmination.