Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

स्मरांगरजःपुंज पूजितावयवोज्ज्वलम् । विचित्रगात्रविधृतमहाव्यालविभूषणम्

Transliteration

smarāṃgarajaḥpuṃja pūjitāvayavojjvalam | vicitragātravidhṛtamahāvyālavibhūṣaṇam

Translation

സ്മരന്റെ ദഗ്ധദേഹഭസ്മരാശികളാൽ പൂജിതമായതുപോലെ അവന്റെ അവയവങ്ങൾ ഉജ്ജ്വലം; അവന്റെ വിചിത്രഗാത്രത്തിൽ മഹാവ്യാലങ്ങൾ (മഹാസർപ്പങ്ങൾ) വിഭൂഷണമായി ധരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्मर: Kāma (Cupid)
• स्मर: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग)

• अङ्ग: body, limb
• अङ्ग: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग)

• रजः: dust, pollen, ash
• रजः: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग)

• पुञ्ज: heap, mass
• पुञ्ज: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• पूजित: worshipped, honored
• पूजित: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजित (√पूज् धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (worshipped/adorned)

• अवयव: limb, part
• अवयव: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवयव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• उज्ज्वलम्: bright, radiant
• उज्ज्वलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• विचित्र: variegated, wondrous
• विचित्र: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• गात्र: body, limb
• गात्र: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग)

• विधृत: worn, held
• विधृत: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधृत (वि+√धृ धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (borne, worn)

• महाव्याल: great serpent
• महाव्याल: Sambandha (Compound relation/समास-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-व्याल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (समासाङ्ग); समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् व्यालः)

• विभूषणम्: ornament
• विभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śiva as desire-conqueror)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s body gleams with sacred ash as if ritually offered from the burnt body of Smara; large serpents coil as ornaments around arms, neck, and waist; the overall effect is ascetic radiance and awe-inspiring power.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Smara (Kāma)
• Serpents

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is the conqueror of desire (Kāma); dispassion and mastery over impulses are sanctified paths toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Kāśī-centered glorification of Śiva; no single kuṇḍa/ghāṭa is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse implicitly supports bhasma-dhāraṇa (sacred ash) and Śiva-upāsanā as Shaiva markers.