Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मरणादपि नो काश्यां भयं यत्र मनागपि । गणास्तत्र तु तिष्ठंतः कुतो मत्तोपि बिभ्यति

Transliteration

maraṇādapi no kāśyāṃ bhayaṃ yatra manāgapi | gaṇāstatra tu tiṣṭhaṃtaḥ kuto mattopi bibhyati

Translation

കാശിയിൽ മരണത്തേക്കുറിച്ചും അല്പമാത്രം ഭയം ഇല്ല. അവിടെ സ്വയം ദിവ്യഗണങ്ങൾ വസിക്കുമ്പോൾ, എനിക്കുപോലും അവർ എങ്ങനെ ഭയപ്പെടും?

Word by Word

• मरणात्: from death
• मरणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; Ablative singular (from death)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (even/also)

• नः: of us / our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural (of us/our)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; Locative singular (in Kāśī)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-सम्बन्ध (relative adverb: where)

• मनाक्: even a little
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अल्पता-वाचक (a little)

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

• गणाः: hosts (attendants)
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (there)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (conjunction/particle), विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• तिष्ठन्तः: standing
• तिष्ठन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → तिष्ठत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Present active participle: standing

• कुतः: how / from where
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रश्नार्थक (whence/how)

• मत्तः: from me
• मत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from me)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (even)

• बिभ्यति: fears
• बिभ्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Present: fears

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Kāśī cityscape with Śiva’s gaṇas stationed at thresholds and ghāṭas, radiating fearlessness; a subtle personification of Death kept at bay at the kṣetra boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a realm of fearlessness where even death loses its terror due to Śiva’s protective presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), revered as Śiva’s city and the foremost mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the inherent sanctity and protective power of residing in Kāśī.