Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वचनाद्ब्राह्मणानां तु शापो मा प्रभवत्विह । कदाचिदपि केषांचित्काश्यां मोक्षांतरायकः

Transliteration

vacanādbrāhmaṇānāṃ tu śāpo mā prabhavatviha | kadācidapi keṣāṃcitkāśyāṃ mokṣāṃtarāyakaḥ

Translation

Möge der Fluch, der aus den Worten der Brāhmaṇas entsteht, hier niemals wirksam werden und zu keiner Zeit die Befreiung irgendjemandes in Kāśī behindern.

Word by Word

• वचनात्: from the utterance/word
• वचनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• मा: may not / do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (prohibitive particle)

• प्रभवतु: may arise/prevail
• प्रभवतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Adverbial (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Adverbial (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse particle (सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle: even/also)

• केषाम्: of whom/of some
• केषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• चित्: some/any (indefinite)
• चित्: Discourse particle (अनिश्चितता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चितार्थक निपात (indefinite particle)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मोक्ष-अन्तरायकः: an obstacle to liberation
• मोक्ष-अन्तरायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तरायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य अन्तरायकः)

Speaker

Kāśī-resident brāhmaṇas/devotees (addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees in Kāśī fold hands in supplication before Śiva, praying that no brāhmaṇa-uttered curse become a barrier to liberation within the sacred city; the ghats and temple spires form a protective sacred skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Kāśī
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, the devotee prays that nothing— even a curse—should become a barrier to the city’s promised path to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), revered as a mokṣa-kṣetra in the Skanda Purāṇa’s Kāśī-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it is a protective prayer emphasizing unobstructed mokṣa in Kāśī.