Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायं माहात्म्यं चापि खंडजम् । प्रवक्ष्याम्यघनाशाय महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम्

Transliteration

anukramaṇikādhyāyaṃ māhātmyaṃ cāpi khaṃḍajam | pravakṣyāmyaghanāśāya mahāpuṇyapravardhanam

Translation

„Ich werde das Inhaltskapitel Anukramaṇikā und auch das in diesem Khaṇḍa entstandene Māhātmya verkünden — zur Vernichtung der Sünde und zur mächtigen Mehrung des Verdienstes.“

Word by Word

• अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायम्: the chapter of the index/contents
• अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रमणिका + अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• माहात्म्यम्: the sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधान (also)

• खण्डजम्: born of the section/part; pertaining to the khaṇḍa
• खण्डजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्डज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माहात्म्यम्)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall expound
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अघनाशाय: for the destruction of sin
• अघनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the destruction of sin); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अघस्य नाशः)

• महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम्: that which increases great merit
• महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य + प्रवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (माहात्म्यम्/वक्तव्यं); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महच्च तत् पुण्यं, तस्य प्रवर्धनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing the narration) — inferred from immediate context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-māhātmya (within Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta/Jātūkarṇya and assembled sages/students

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa declares he will recite the index and the Khaṇḍa-born māhātmya, depicted as luminous words emanating from the sage, symbolically washing away darkness (sin) and showering merit.

Characters & Entities

• Anukramaṇikā
• Māhātmya
• Puṇya
• Agha (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing the Māhātmya is itself purifying—removing sin and generating spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework glorifies Kāśī and its sacred geography; this verse introduces the merit-bearing summary rather than one site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, śravaṇa (listening) and pravacana (recitation) of Māhātmya as a meritorious act.