Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

मृतानां यत्र जंतूनां निर्वाणपदमृच्छताम् । कोट्यंशेनापि न समा अपि शक्रादयः सुराः

Transliteration

mṛtānāṃ yatra jaṃtūnāṃ nirvāṇapadamṛcchatām | koṭyaṃśenāpi na samā api śakrādayaḥ surāḥ

Translation

എവിടെ മരിച്ച ജീവികൾ നിർവാണപദം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു, അവിടെ ശക്രാദി ദേവന്മാരും അവർക്കു തുല്യമല്ല—കോട്യാംശം പോലും.

Word by Word

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle of √मृ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural: of the dead

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

• जन्तूनाम्: of beings
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• निर्वाणपदम्: the state/abode of nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्वाणस्य पदम् = state/abode of liberation)

• ऋच्छताम्: of those attaining
• ऋच्छताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ् (धातु, गत्यर्थ) → ऋच्छत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural: of those who attain

• कोट्यंशेन: by even a croreth part
• कोट्यंशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोट्यंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष (कोट्याः अंशः = a croreth part)

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• समाः: equal
• समाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (equal)

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

• शक्रादयः: Indra and others
• शक्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (शक्रः आदिः येषाम् = those beginning with Indra)

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subtle funerary scene in Kāśī where a departing soul rises into a serene, luminous nirvāṇa light, while Indra and other devas appear small and reverent in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Nirvāṇa
• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mokṣa attained in Kāśī is exalted above even the highest divine rank in heaven.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed for granting liberation to those who die there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the focus is on the fruit (phala) of dying in Kāśī—attainment of nirvāṇa.