Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

यथा तमो न तिष्ठेत संनिधावंशुमालिनः । तथा न भवभक्तस्य पापं तस्य व्रजेत्क्षयम्

Transliteration

yathā tamo na tiṣṭheta saṃnidhāvaṃśumālinaḥ | tathā na bhavabhaktasya pāpaṃ tasya vrajetkṣayam

Translation

Wie die Finsternis in der Gegenwart der Sonne nicht bestehen kann, so kann auch die Sünde beim Verehrer Bhavas nicht verweilen; sie eilt ihrem Untergang entgegen.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative: 'just as')

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: does not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तिष्ठेत्: would remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संनिधौ: in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• अंशुमालिनः: of the sun (the ray-garlanded one)
• अंशुमालिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: अंशवः माला यस्य (the sun)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Upameya-correlative (तथाशब्द)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तद्वत्-अर्थे अव्यय (correlative: 'so, likewise')

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• भवभक्तस्य: of the devotee of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवभक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः भव-भक्त (तत्पुरुष: 'devotee of Bhava/Śiva')

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षयम्: to destruction, to end
• क्षयम्: Gati (Goal/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Acc. sg.; गत्यर्थे द्वितीया)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sunburst behind Śiva’s emblem; darkness-like forms retreat from a devotee standing near a liṅga on a Kāśī ghāṭa, symbolizing sin fleeing Bhava-bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Bhava)
• Sun (aṃśumālin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva (Bhava) is intrinsically purifying; sin is incompatible with sustained proximity to divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context supports Kāśī’s fame as a realm of Śiva where purification is natural to sincere bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it emphasizes ongoing bhakti (devotional orientation) as the purifier.