Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

यत्र काश्यां मृतो जंतुर्ब्रह्मनारायणादिभिः । प्रबद्ध मूर्धांजलिभिर्नमस्येतातियत्नतः

Transliteration

yatra kāśyāṃ mṛto jaṃturbrahmanārāyaṇādibhiḥ | prabaddha mūrdhāṃjalibhirnamasyetātiyatnataḥ

Translation

എവിടെ കാശിയിൽ മരിച്ച ജീവിയെയും ബ്രഹ്മാ, നാരായണാദി ദേവന്മാർ മഹാ ശ്രമത്തോടെ—ശിരസ്സിന്മേൽ അഞ്ജലി ചേർത്ത്—നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

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

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP of √मृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (dead)

• जन्तुः: a being
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• ब्रह्मनारायणादिभिः: by Brahmā, Nārāyaṇa and others
• ब्रह्मनारायणादिभिः: Karana (Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व + ‘आदि’ (Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa etc.), Instrumental plural (by)

• प्रबद्ध: joined/fastened
• प्रबद्ध: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-बन्ध् (धातु) → प्रबद्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; agrees with मूर्धाञ्जलिभिः: bound/joined

• मूर्धाञ्जलिभिः: with hands joined on the head
• मूर्धाञ्जलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (मूर्ध्नि अञ्जलिः = hands joined on the head), Instrumental plural

• नमस्येत: would bow / should pay homage
• नमस्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस्-य (धातु/नामधातु: नमस्यति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; would/should bow (pay homage)

• अतियत्नतः: with great effort
• अतियत्नतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतियत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ततः), क्रियाविशेषण (with great effort)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial tableau: Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa with other devas stand with hands joined atop their heads, bowing toward a subtle, radiant presence representing a Kāśī-deceased soul’s liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Brahmā
• Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One who dies in Kāśī is depicted as spiritually eminent—worthy of reverence even from the highest gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the foremost place where death is sanctified as a gateway to liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No human ritual is prescribed; the verse describes divine reverence (namaskāra) shown to the departed in Kāśī.