Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

सायं पाशुपतीं संध्यां कुर्यां पशुपतीश्वरे । विभूतिधारणात्तत्र पशुपाशैर्न बध्यते

Transliteration

sāyaṃ pāśupatīṃ saṃdhyāṃ kuryāṃ paśupatīśvare | vibhūtidhāraṇāttatra paśupāśairna badhyate

Translation

Am Abend soll man die pāśupata-sandhyā bei Paśupatīśvara vollziehen. Wer dort die heilige Asche (vibhūti) trägt, wird nicht von den Fesseln gebunden, die die Wesen knechten.

Word by Word

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time: 'in the evening')

• पाशुपतीम्: Pāśupatī (Pāśupata-related)
• पाशुपतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine accusative singular; adjective)

• संध्याम्: twilight worship (sandhyā)
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine accusative singular)

• कुर्याम्: I should perform
• कुर्याम्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (1st person singular optative)

• पशुपतीश्वरे: in Paśupatīśvara (Lord of Paśupati)
• पशुपतीश्वरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुपति + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (पशुपतेः ईश्वरः) (masculine locative singular)

• विभूतिधारणात्: from (the act of) wearing sacred ash
• विभूतिधारणात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति + धारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विभूतेः धारणम्) (neuter ablative singular: 'from/through the wearing of vibhūti')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place: 'there')

• पशुपाशैः: by the bonds of beasts (animal-bonds)
• पशुपाशैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पशूनां पाशाः) (masculine instrumental plural)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• बध्यते: is bound
• बध्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: 'is bound')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paśupatīśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twilight at a Kāśī shrine: a devotee faces a liṅga of Paśupatīśvara, applying sacred ash in three horizontal lines, offering water and bilva, with lamps flickering and the Ganga’s distant presence implied.

Characters & Entities

• Paśupatīśvara
• Pāśupata
• Sandhyā
• Vibhūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaiva discipline—sandhyā and vibhūti—symbolizes and effects release from bondage when performed in the sanctified sphere of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Paśupatīśvara in Kāśī, linked with Pāśupata observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Evening Pāśupata sandhyā at Paśupatīśvara and vibhūti-dhāraṇa (wearing sacred ash).