Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कथं प्रमथनाथोसौ रममाणो निरंतरम् । दिगंबरः पितृवने शिवया धूलिधूसरः

Transliteration

kathaṃ pramathanāthosau ramamāṇo niraṃtaram | digaṃbaraḥ pitṛvane śivayā dhūlidhūsaraḥ

Translation

“وہ پرمَتھوں کا ناتھ کیسے لگاتار کھیلتا رہتا ہے—دِگَمبَر، پِتْرِوَن (شمشان) میں، شِوا کے ساتھ، گرد سے اَٹا ہوا؟”

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• प्रमथनाथः: lord of the Pramathas
• प्रमथनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रमथानां नाथः)

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; दूरवाचक सर्वनाम

• रममाणः: sporting, delighting
• रममाणः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial use)

• दिगम्बरः: sky-clad (naked ascetic)
• दिगम्बरः: Apposition (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (दिशः अम्बरं यस्य = नग्नः)

• पितृवने: in the forest of the Pitṛs
• पितृवने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पितॄणां वनम्)

• शिवया: with Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; पार्वतीनाम

• धूलिधूसरः: dust-grey, covered with dust
• धूलिधूसरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूलि (प्रातिपदिक) + धूसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (धूल्या धूसरः)

Speaker

Two ritual-focused interlocutors in the narrative (implied from dual verb forms; not explicitly named in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna/Pitṛvana (within Kāśī imagery)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (frame listener)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An objection/question: how can the Lord of Pramathas revel continuously—naked as the directions, in the pitṛvana/cremation forest, dust-ash grey, together with Śivā? The scene evokes the cremation ground, gaṇas, ash, and divine play.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivā (Pārvatī)
• Pramathas
• Pitṛvana (cremation-ground)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s transcendence overturns conventional notions of purity and status: even cremation-ground imagery points to His freedom from worldly limitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cremation-ground motif resonates strongly with Kāśī’s liberation theology (antyeṣṭi and mokṣa in Kāśī), but this verse does not name a specific ghat or tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the line questions Śiva’s appearance and dwelling rather than prescribing a rite.