Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

श्रीशैल हिमशैलाद्या नानान्यायतनानि च । त्रिदंडधारणंचापि संन्यासः सर्वकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

śrīśaila himaśailādyā nānānyāyatanāni ca | tridaṃḍadhāraṇaṃcāpi saṃnyāsaḥ sarvakarmaṇām

Translation

ശ്രീശൈലം, ഹിമശൈലം മുതലായ അനേകം പുണ്യധാമങ്ങൾ; കൂടാതെ ത്രിദണ്ഡധാരണം, സർവകർമ്മസന്ന്യാസം—ഇവയും (മാർഗങ്ങളായി) പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• श्रीशैल: Śrīśaila (holy mountain)
• श्रीशैल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + शैल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समूह-निर्देशे); कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् शैलः)

• हिमशैल: Himaśaila (snow-mountain)
• हिमशैल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम + शैल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समुच्चय); कर्मधारयः (हिमयुक्तः शैलः)

• आद्याः: and others; beginning with
• आद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'श्रीशैल-हिमशैल' इत्यादीनां विशेषणम् ('आदि' = 'and others')

• नाना: various
• नाना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'आयतनानि' इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (विविध/various)

• अन्य: other
• अन्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'आयतनानि' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आयतनानि: abodes; shrines
• आयतनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coord. conjunction)

• त्रिदण्डधारणम्: holding the triple staff
• त्रिदण्डधारणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + दण्ड + धारण (धृ धातु, क्तिन्/अन-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समाससदृशः: त्रिदण्डस्य धारणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• संन्यासः: renunciation
• संन्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वकर्मणाम्: of all actions
• सर्वकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषां कर्मणाम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīśaila; Himālaya (as tīrtha regions)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic montage: Śrīśaila’s forested hill with a Śiva shrine; the snow Himalaya with ascetics; a saṃnyāsin holding a triple staff (tridaṇḍa), symbolizing renunciation of ritual action.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīśaila
• Himālaya
• Saṃnyāsa
• Tridaṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Many revered paths exist—pilgrimage, ascetic insignia, and renunciation—yet the chapter’s arc will elevate Kāśī/Avimukta beyond them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīśaila and the Himālaya are mentioned as famed sacred abodes within a broader Kāśī-māhātmya comparison.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tridaṇḍa-dhāraṇa (bearing the triple staff) and saṃnyāsa (renunciation of ritual actions).