Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

रजसा तमसा विवर्धितं क्व नु पापं परितापदायकम् । क्व च ते शिव नाम मंगलं जनजीवातु जगद्रुजापहम्

Transliteration

rajasā tamasā vivardhitaṃ kva nu pāpaṃ paritāpadāyakam | kva ca te śiva nāma maṃgalaṃ janajīvātu jagadrujāpaham

Translation

Wo ist die Sünde, genährt von Leidenschaft und Dunkelheit, die nur Qual bereitet, und wo ist dein glückverheißender Name, o Śiva, Lebensodem der Menschen und Vertreiber der Leiden der Welt?

Word by Word

• रजसा: by passion/dust (rajas)
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तमसा: by darkness/ignorance (tamas)
• तमसा: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विवर्धितम्: increased/nourished
• विवर्धितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-वृध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (Interrogative adverb)

• नु: indeed/then (emphasis)
• नु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Emphatic/interrogative particle)

• पापम्: sin/evil
• पापम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• परितापदायकम्: causing torment
• परितापदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिताप (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (दा धातु + ण्वुल्/कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (Determinative: 'giver of torment'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (Interrogative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (Conjunction)

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• शिव: O Śiva
• शिव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• मंगलम्: auspicious
• मंगलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• जनजीवातु: life of people
• जनजीवातु: Visheshya (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक) + जीवातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (Determinative: 'life/breath of people'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगद्रुजापहम्: removing the world's suffering
• जगद्रुजापहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + रुजा (प्रातिपदिक) + अपह (अप-हृ धातु + अच्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (Determinative: 'remover of the world's pain'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / in-text devotee addressing Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two opposing panels: on one side a smoky, red-black swirl labeled rajas-tamas giving rise to thorny suffering; on the other, luminous syllables 'Śiva' radiating cool white light that calms fevered beings and clears the air over Kāśī’s ghāṭas.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-nāma
• Rajas
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin rooted in rajas and tamas is powerless before the auspicious Śiva-nāma, which heals worldly suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the implied sacred setting where Śiva’s Name and grace are extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse contrasts inner states and points to nāma-smaraṇa/nāma-kīrtana rather than a physical ritual.