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

Sie, die Ströme großer Sünden besänftigt, die Ansammlungen von Verdienst mehrt und am Ende Bhukti und Mukti verleiht—welcher Weise würde nicht Zuflucht in Kāśī nehmen?

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).