Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

क्षमां प्रदक्षिणीकृन्य यत्फलं सम्यगाप्यते । प्रदोषे तत्फलं काश्यां सप्तकृत्वस्त्रिलोचने

Transliteration

kṣamāṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛnya yatphalaṃ samyagāpyate | pradoṣe tatphalaṃ kāśyāṃ saptakṛtvastrilocane

Translation

Welcher Lohn auch immer rechtmäßig durch die ‘Kṣamā-pradakṣiṇā’—die Umrundung im Flehen um Vergebung—erlangt wird, eben derselbe Lohn wird in Kāśī bei Trilocana gewonnen, wenn man sie zur pradoṣa, der heiligen Abenddämmerung, siebenmal vollzieht.

Word by Word

• क्षमाम्: forgiveness
• क्षमाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• प्रदक्षिणी-कृत्य: having circumambulated
• प्रदक्षिणी-कृत्य: Kriya (Gerundial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रदक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्/तुमुनादि-समासान्त कृदन्त-प्रयोगः; अव्ययभावः — Absolutive sense: ‘having made (it) a pradakṣiṇā / having circumambulated’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (फलं इत्यस्य) — Relative pronoun, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• सम्यक्: properly/fully
• सम्यक्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: properly)

• आप्यते: is obtained
• आप्यते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Passive

• प्रदोषे: at pradoṣa (evening twilight)
• प्रदोषे: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/काल), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (फलम् इत्यस्य) — Demonstrative, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

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

• सप्तकृत्वः: seven times
• सप्तकृत्वः: Prakara (Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्वस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यापूर्वक-आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb of frequency)

• त्रिलोचने: in/at (the presence of) the three-eyed (Śiva)
• त्रिलोचने: Adhikarana (Address/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; शिव-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana (Trilocaneśvara)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk in Kāśī, lamps are lit as a devotee performs seven circumambulations around the Trilocana shrine, hands folded, whispering prayers for forgiveness; the twilight sky and temple lamps merge into a sacred pradoṣa aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Trilocana (Śiva/shrine)
• Pradoṣa (twilight observance)
• Pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī magnifies devotional acts: humble repentance and forgiveness-oriented circumambulation performed at the right time yields heightened spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Trilocana in Kāśī, especially during pradoṣa time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform kṣamā-pradakṣiṇā at pradoṣa in Kāśī at Trilocana, repeating it seven times for the stated fruit.