Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अपमृत्युमृता ये वै चोरविद्युज्जलादिभिः । तेषामिह कृतं श्राद्धं जायते सुगतिप्रदम्

Transliteration

apamṛtyumṛtā ye vai coravidyujjalādibhiḥ | teṣāmiha kṛtaṃ śrāddhaṃ jāyate sugatipradam

Translation

สำหรับผู้ที่ตายด้วยอปมฤตยู คือมรณะก่อนกาล—ด้วยโจร ด้วยฟ้าผ่า ด้วยการจมน้ำ และอื่น ๆ—ศราทธะที่ประกอบ ณ ที่นี้ ย่อมเป็นผู้ประทานสุคติและคติอันเป็นมงคลแก่เขา

Word by Word

• अप: away/abnormal (prefix)
• अप: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप (उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• मृत्यु: death
• मृत्यु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम् (compound member)

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ मरणे + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle)

• चोर: thief/robber
• चोर: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम् (compound member)

• विद्युत्: lightning
• विद्युत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम् (compound member)

• जल: water
• जल: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम् (compound member)

• आदिभिः: and the like
• आदिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ समाहारार्थे (Masculine, Instrumental plural; 'etc.')

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• कृतम्: performed
• कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ करणे + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (Neuter, Nom/Acc singular; 'done/performed')

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative singular)

• जायते: becomes/arises
• जायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (Present, 3rd singular, Atmanepada)

• सुगति: good destiny
• सुगति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुगति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम् (compound member)

• प्रदम्: bestowing
• प्रदम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रद (कृदन्त; √दा दाने + क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc singular; adjective qualifying श्राद्धम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (pitṛ-śrāddha tīrtha network)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī ghāṭ ritual scene where the dangers of apamṛtyu are symbolized—storm lightning, river whirl, shadowy thieves—while the śrāddha fire-lamp and sacred water radiate protection, guiding the departed upward.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śrāddha
• Apamṛtyu
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual care performed at a powerful tīrtha can redirect and uplift the destiny of those who suffered difficult deaths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the Kāśī-tīrtha setting of Adhyāya 12 (with nearby named tīrthas in context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing śrāddha ‘here’ for those who died by apamṛtyu (accidents/violence), to grant sugati.