Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

नाविमुक्ते मृतः कश्चिन्नरकं याति किल्बिषी । ममानुग्रहमासाद्य गच्छत्येव परां गतिम्

Transliteration

nāvimukte mṛtaḥ kaścinnarakaṃ yāti kilbiṣī | mamānugrahamāsādya gacchatyeva parāṃ gatim

Translation

Kein Sünder, der in Avimukta stirbt, geht zur Hölle. Erlangt er meine Gnade, so schreitet er gewiss zur höchsten Bestimmung.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in Avimukta/Kāśī)

• मृतः: dead / having died
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ ‘to die’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (one who has died)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल्बिषी: sinful
• किल्बिषी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किल्बिषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (sinful)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुग्रहम्: grace
• अनुग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having obtained
• आसाद्य: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having attained/approached’

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying devotee in Kāśī near the Gaṅgā/temple precinct; Śiva’s compassionate presence above, a luminous path opening upward; shadows of naraka recede, replaced by serene light and the ‘supreme state’ symbolism (lotus/skyway).

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Kāśī
• naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace linked to sacred geography can override the fear of hell, directing the soul toward the highest liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta (Kāśī/Varanasi), celebrated as a liberation-bestowing kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse emphasizes the salvific power of dying in Avimukta under divine grace.