Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

महापातकतो मुक्तिः काश्यामे व शतक्रतो । महासंसारतो मुक्तिः काश्यामेव न चान्यतः

Transliteration

mahāpātakato muktiḥ kāśyāme va śatakrato | mahāsaṃsārato muktiḥ kāśyāmeva na cānyataḥ

Translation

Erlösung von großen Vergehen ist allein in Kāśī, o Śatakratu; Erlösung aus dem weiten Kreislauf des Saṃsāra ist allein in Kāśī—und nirgends sonst.

Word by Word

• महापातकतः: from great sin
• महापातकतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + पातक (कर्मधारय)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधानार्थक (emphatic)

• शतक्रतो: O Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—शतं क्रतवो यस्य (बहुव्रीहि)

• महासंसारतः: from the great cycle of rebirth
• महासंसारतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासंसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + संसार (कर्मधारय)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधानार्थक (emphatic)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यतः: from elsewhere/otherwise
• अन्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘अन्य’ + तसिल्

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Śatakratu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Kāśī on the Gaṅgā’s curve; Indra (Śatakratu) listens as the glory of Kāśī is declared—Kāśī shining as a gateway beyond sin and saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Kāśī
• Mahāpātaka
• Saṃsāra
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is exalted not only as a purifier of sin but as an unrivaled locus of liberation from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the singular place of mukti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is stated; the emphasis is on being in Kāśī as the decisive condition.