Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एको मृत्युंजयः पूज्यो जन्ममृत्युजराहरः । मृत्युंजयं किलाभ्यर्च्य श्वेतो मृत्युंजयोभवत्

Transliteration

eko mṛtyuṃjayaḥ pūjyo janmamṛtyujarāharaḥ | mṛtyuṃjayaṃ kilābhyarcya śveto mṛtyuṃjayobhavat

Translation

唯有胜死者Mṛtyuñjaya当受礼拜，他能除去生、死与衰老。诚然，礼敬胜死者，舍吠多便成了战胜死亡之人。

Word by Word

• एकः: one (alone)
• एकः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मृत्युंजयः: Mṛtyuṃjaya (conqueror of death)
• मृत्युंजयः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मृत्युं जयति इति/मृत्योः जयः)

• पूज्यः: worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (पूज्-धातोः यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• जन्ममृत्युजराहरः: remover of birth, death, and old age
• जन्ममृत्युजराहरः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म + मृत्यु + जरा + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-हरः = removing birth, death, and old age)

• मृत्युंजयम्: Mṛtyuṃjaya
• मृत्युंजयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ-निपात (particle ‘indeed/it is said’)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having worshipped’

• श्वेतः: Śveta (proper name)
• श्वेतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (व्यक्तिनाम/विशेष्य)

• मृत्युंजयः: Mṛtyuṃjaya
• मृत्युंजयः: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; ‘became’

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mṛtyuñjaya (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mṛtyuñjaya Śiva appears as a radiant liṅga or four-armed form, calm yet powerful; a devotee (Śveta) offers bilva and water, while the shadow of Yama recedes—symbolizing death’s defeat.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (Mṛtyuñjaya)
• Śveta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Mṛtyuñjaya transforms fear into freedom—Śiva’s grace is portrayed as victory over mortality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva character is emphasized; Mṛtyuñjaya worship is highlighted as especially efficacious in this kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Abhyarcana (formal worship) of Mṛtyuñjaya is recommended as a means to overcome death and the cycle of suffering.