Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सर्वमंगलमांगल्यो यत्र श्रीमानयं हरिः । स्वयं वै यज्ञपुरुषः स मखः किं श्मशानवत्

Transliteration

sarvamaṃgalamāṃgalyo yatra śrīmānayaṃ hariḥ | svayaṃ vai yajñapuruṣaḥ sa makhaḥ kiṃ śmaśānavat

Translation

“Bagaimana korban suci (yajña) ini dapat seperti tanah pembakaran mayat, sedangkan Śrīmān Hari hadir di sini—yang paling membawa berkat di antara segala berkat—Dialah sendiri Yajña-Puruṣa?”

Word by Word

• sarva-maṅgala-maṅgalyaḥ: supremely auspicious
• sarva-maṅgala-maṅgalyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + maṅgala (प्रातिपदिक) + maṅgalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां मङ्गलानां माङ्गल्यः = most auspicious among all auspicious things)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/सम्बन्धवाचक (where)

• śrīmān: glorious
• śrīmān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing śrī)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• hariḥ: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वयम् (oneself)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

• yajña-puruṣaḥ: the Yajña-Puruṣa (personification of sacrifice)
• yajña-puruṣaḥ: Predicate (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (यज्ञस्य पुरुषः)

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• makhaḥ: sacrifice (rite)
• makhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kim: why/how
• kim: Avyaya (Interrogative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (why?/how?)

• śmaśāna-vat: like a cremation ground
• śmaśāna-vat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (like a cremation-ground)

Speaker

Dakṣa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A theological assertion in the midst of conflict: Hari is present as Yajña-Puruṣa, making the sacrifice supremely auspicious—contrasted against the ‘cremation-ground’ metaphor.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Viṣṇu
• Yajña-Puruṣa
• Makha (yajña)
• Śmaśāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dakṣa argues that divine presence makes ritual auspicious; the broader narrative tests whether ritual is complete without honoring the supreme Lord appropriately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework but focuses on yajña-theology rather than a named sacred spot in Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It asserts the doctrinal basis for yajña: Hari as Yajña-Puruṣa—implying that proper invocation of the deity is central to the rite’s auspiciousness.