Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

शूलिने शाश्वतेशाय श्मशानावनिचारिणे । शिवाप्रियाय शर्वाय सर्वज्ञाय नमोस्तु ते

Transliteration

śūline śāśvateśāya śmaśānāvanicāriṇe | śivāpriyāya śarvāya sarvajñāya namostu te

Translation

ତ୍ରିଶୂଳଧାରୀ, ଶାଶ୍ୱତ ଈଶ୍ୱର, ଶ୍ମଶାନବନେ ବିଚରଣକାରୀଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର। ଶିବା (ପାର୍ବତୀ)ଙ୍କ ପ୍ରିୟ, ଶର୍ବ ଓ ସର୍ବଜ୍ଞ ପ୍ରଭୁ—ଆପଣଙ୍କୁ ନମୋ ନମଃ।

Word by Word

• शूलिने: to the trident-bearer
• शूलिने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• शाश्वतेशाय: to the eternal Lord
• शाश्वतेशाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाश्वत-ईश (प्रातिपदिक); शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः कर्मधारयः: शाश्वतः ईशः)

• श्मशानावनिचारिणे: to the wanderer in the cremation-ground earth
• श्मशानावनिचारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान-अवनि-चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक) + अवनि (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः तत्पुरुषः: श्मशानावनौ चरति इति)

• शिवाप्रियाय: to the beloved of Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवाप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक); शिवा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: शिवायाः प्रियः)

• शर्वाय: to Śarva
• शर्वाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• सर्वज्ञाय: to the omniscient one
• सर्वज्ञाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः: सर्वं जानाति इति)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object of salutation/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; नमः-शब्दः (salutation particle)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/विधिलिङ्-सदृश), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā-ghāṭa (within Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with triśūla stands serene in a cremation ground near the Ganga; funeral pyres glow, yet the deity’s face is tranquil; Pārvatī’s presence is implied through gentle aura, balancing ugra and śiva aspects.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī (Śivā)
• Śarva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s cremation-ground aspect teaches impermanence and detachment, while affirming His eternal, omniscient lordship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is renowned for its śmaśāna culture (e.g., maṇikarṇikā), fitting the hymn’s praise of Śiva as śmaśāna-cārin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports contemplative remembrance of death (smaraṇa) and Śiva-upāsanā.