Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

पुरः पुरारेः कायार्थमनिवेद्येह तिष्ठतः । यत्पापं भावि मे तस्य काशीपापस्यनिष्कृतिः

Transliteration

puraḥ purāreḥ kāyārthamanivedyeha tiṣṭhataḥ | yatpāpaṃ bhāvi me tasya kāśīpāpasyaniṣkṛtiḥ

Translation

Wenn ich, während ich hier verweile, die Angelegenheit des Auftrags nicht in der unmittelbaren Gegenwart Purāris (Śivas) vorbringe—welche Sünde mir daraus auch erwachsen mag, Kāśī selbst wird die Sühne für diese Sünde sein.

Word by Word

• पुरः: in the presence / before
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (in front of)

• पुरारेः: of Purāri (Śiva)
• पुरारेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• कायार्थम्: for the sake of the body
• कायार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कायस्य अर्थः)

• अनिवेद्य: without informing
• अनिवेद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त (absolutive/gerund); नकार-पूर्वक निषेध (without informing)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• तिष्ठतः: while (I am) staying
• तिष्ठतः: Sambandha (Genitive absolute-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘(मम) तिष्ठतः’ = while I am staying

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘पापम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भावि: that will occur / impending
• भावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + इनि (कृदन्त)
• Form: इनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भविष्यदर्थे (that which is to be/impending)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘पापम्’ इत्यस्य

• काशीपापस्य: of the sin connected with Kāśī
• काशीपापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः पापम् / काश्यां (कृतं) पापम्)

• निष्कृतिः: expiation / release
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārtaṇḍa (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands near a Śiva shrine in Kāśī, anxious about failing to report a task; the city itself is envisioned as a protective, purifying mantle.

Characters & Entities

• Purāri (Śiva)
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is extolled as uniquely purifying—capable of dissolving even the sin born from failure and fear—while still affirming the ideal of honest reporting to the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī itself is praised as a kṣetra of niṣkṛti (expiation).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed; the doctrine stated is that residence in Kāśī functions as a powerful means of expiation.