Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

तं स्तंभं समलंकृत्य नरस्तत्पदमाप्नुयात् । तत्रैव तीर्थं परमं कपालेश समीपतः

Transliteration

taṃ staṃbhaṃ samalaṃkṛtya narastatpadamāpnuyāt | tatraiva tīrthaṃ paramaṃ kapāleśa samīpataḥ

Translation

त्या स्तंभास योग्य रीतीने अलंकृत केल्यास मनुष्य त्या परम पदास प्राप्त होतो. तेथेच कपालेशाच्या समीप एक परम तीर्थ आहे.

Word by Word

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; निर्देश-विशेषण

• स्तंभम्: pillar
• स्तंभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समलंकृत्य: having adorned
• समलंकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अलंकृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) उपसर्गः ‘सम्-’; ‘having adorned’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पदम्: state/abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: would attain/should attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage spot
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमारूपेण (nominal clause)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तीर्थस्य विशेषणम्

• कपालेश: Kapāleśa
• कपालेश: Sambandha/Reference (सम्बन्ध/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासान्त; अत्र सम्बोधन/निर्देशरूपेण (proper name)

• समीपतः: near (to)
• समीपतः: Adhikarana (Proximity/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समीपतः (अव्यय; from समीप)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: near/by)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paramam tīrtham near Kapāleśa (within Mahāśmaśāna vicinity)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees garland a tall pillar with marigolds and bilva; lamps are placed at its base. In the background, a small shrine of Kapāleśa and a nearby water-spot (tīrtha) are visible, suggesting a compact sacred circuit leading to parama-pada.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mahāśmaśāna-stambha
• Kapāleśa
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service to Kāśī’s sacred emblems is presented as a direct cause for attaining the highest spiritual station.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahāśmaśāna pillar and the supreme tīrtha located near Kapāleśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samalaṅkāra—decorating/adorn­ing the sacred pillar (a form of pūjā/upacāra).