Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

दंडपाणिं महेशं च मोक्षेशं प्रणमेत्ततः । वीरभद्रेश्वरं नत्वा अविमुक्तेश्वरं ततः

Transliteration

daṃḍapāṇiṃ maheśaṃ ca mokṣeśaṃ praṇamettataḥ | vīrabhadreśvaraṃ natvā avimukteśvaraṃ tataḥ

Translation

ثم ينبغي السجود بخشوع لدانْدَپاني (Daṇḍapāṇi) ولمهيشا (Maheśa) ولموكشيشا (Mokṣeśa). وبعد تحية ڤيرابهادريشفارا (Vīrabhadreśvara) يمضي المرء إلى عبادة أڤيموكتيشفارا (Avimukteśvara).

Word by Word

• दण्डपाणिम्: Daṇḍapāṇi (staff-in-hand)
• दण्डपाणिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेशम्: Maheśa
• महेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• मोक्षेशम्: Mokṣeśa
• मोक्षेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणमेत्: should bow (to)
• प्रणमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Kāla/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• वीरभद्रेश्वरम्: Vīrabhadreśvara
• वीरभद्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), ‘नत्वा’ = having bowed

• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Avimukteśvara
• अविमुक्तेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Kāla/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśvara (within Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim bows at a stern Daṇḍapāṇi shrine (guardian with staff symbolism), then proceeds through Maheśa and Mokṣeśa liṅgas; Vīrabhadra’s fierce iconography appears briefly; finally, Avimukteśvara liṅga is worshiped with deep reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Maheśa
• Mokṣeśa
• Vīrabhadreśvara
• Avimukteśvara
• Avimukta-kṣetra
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as Avimukta—the never-abandoned field of Śiva—where reverent salutations culminate in the promise of mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra in Kāśī, especially Avimukteśvara, framed within the Antargṛha pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma and worship (namaskāra/arcana) to a sequence of deities and liṅgas, ending with Avimukteśvara.