Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

महापापौघशमनीं पुण्योपचयकारिणीम् । भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदामंते को न काशीं सुधीः श्रयेत्

Transliteration

mahāpāpaughaśamanīṃ puṇyopacayakāriṇīm | bhuktimuktipradāmaṃte ko na kāśīṃ sudhīḥ śrayet

Translation

যিনি মহাপাপের প্রবাহ শান্ত করেন, পুণ্যসঞ্চয় বৃদ্ধি করেন, এবং শেষে ভোগ ও মোক্ষ দান করেন—এমন কাশীর আশ্রয় কে না নেবে, হে সুবুদ্ধি?

Word by Word

• महापापौघशमनीम्: (Kāśī) the remover of the flood of great sins
• महापापौघशमनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + शमनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• पुण्योपचयकारिणीम्: (Kāśī) the producer of accumulation of merit
• पुण्योपचयकारिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपचय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाम्: (Kāśī) the giver of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• काशीम्: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुधीः: a wise man
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम (wise person)

• श्रयेत्: should resort to / take refuge in
• श्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (frame tradition)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī: Gaṅgā flowing by stepped ghāṭas, pilgrims bathing, bells and lamps, with Viśveśvara’s golden spire rising; the city depicted as a luminous refuge that dissolves sin and bestows liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Bhukti
• Mukti
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is praised as a complete spiritual refuge: it purifies sin, multiplies merit, supports righteous worldly life, and culminates in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), especially as the Avimukta/Viśveśvara-centered sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general call to ‘śraya’—to seek refuge in Kāśī (pilgrimage/residence/worship implied, not a single specified rite).