Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

अस्माभिरेव संत्यक्तः कैलासाधिपतिः स वै । विपाशी चातिनिःस्वत्वाद्भस्मकृत्त्यहिभूषणः

Transliteration

asmābhireva saṃtyaktaḥ kailāsādhipatiḥ sa vai | vipāśī cātiniḥsvatvādbhasmakṛttyahibhūṣaṇaḥ

Translation

அந்த கைலாசாதிபதியை நாமே புறக்கணித்தோம்; மிகுந்த நிர்பந்தத்தால் அவர் பசியுடன் இருப்பார்—திருநீறு பூசி, தோல் ஆடை அணிந்து, பாம்புகளைப் பூஷணமாகக் கொண்டவர்.

Word by Word

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• संत्यक्तः: abandoned
• संत्यक्तः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु) + क्त → संत्यक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कैलासाधिपतिः: the lord of Kailāsa
• कैलासाधिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास-अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक; कैलास + अधिपति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कैलासस्य अधिपतिः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• विपाशी: one who eats little/fasting
• विपाशी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-पा (धातु) + शिन्/इन् → विपाशी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; अर्थः ‘अल्पाहारः/उपवासशीलः’ (one who eats little/fasts)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अतिनिःस्वत्वात्: due to extreme poverty
• अतिनिःस्वत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति-निःस्वत्व (प्रातिपदिक; अति + निःस्वत्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/उपसर्गपूर्वक; कारणार्थे (ablative of cause)

• भस्मकृत्त्य: (having) ash as his garment/covering
• भस्मकृत्त्य: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म-कृत्त्य (प्रातिपदिक; भस्म + कृत्त्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भस्म एव कृत्त्यम्/कृत्यम्)

• अहिभूषणः: one whose ornament is a serpent
• अहिभूषणः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहि-भूषण (प्रातिपदिक; अहि + भूषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अहिः भूषणं यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; reporting others’ attitude)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa (referential)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A satirical tableau: opulent figures dismissing the Lord of Kailāsa depicted as ash-smeared, skin-clad, serpent-adorned, with a begging-bowl; the contrast is intentionally sharp—gold vs ash.

Characters & Entities

• Kailāsādhipati (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s greatness is not measured by wealth but by radical renunciation—ash, skin-garment, and serpent-ornaments signify transcendence of worldly status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the supreme Śaiva sphere where such renunciatory majesty is understood and revered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights ascetic markers (bhasma) that are often associated with Śaiva practice and purity.