Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथ तं ब्राह्मणं मत्वा घृणाविष्टः सुदुःखितः । गत्वा काशीपुरीं पश्चात्तपश्चक्रे समाहितः

Transliteration

atha taṃ brāhmaṇaṃ matvā ghṛṇāviṣṭaḥ suduḥkhitaḥ | gatvā kāśīpurīṃ paścāttapaścakre samāhitaḥ

Translation

„Als er ihn als Brāhmaṇa erkannte, wurde er von Reue und tiefem Schmerz ergriffen. Danach ging er nach Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) und vollzog, mit gesammeltetem Geist, Tapas — strenge Askese.“

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर-क्रमबोधक-अव्यय

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• घृणाविष्टः: overcome with compassion
• घृणाविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृणा-आविष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकौ: घृणा + आविष्ट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• सुदुःखितः: deeply distressed
• सुदुःखितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/उपपद: सु + दुःखित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• काशीपुरीम्: to the city of Kāśī
• काशीपुरीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी-पुरि (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकौ: काशी + पुरि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (afterwards)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण

• चक्रे: performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Janārdana/Viṣṇu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king arrives at Kāśī: ghāṭas on Gaṅgā, ascetics, smoke of lamps; he performs austerity with focused mind, perhaps seated near a liṅga or on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśīpurī
• brāhmaṇa
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True repentance leads one to seek purification through disciplined tapas, especially at renowned holy cities like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly invoked as a destination for expiation and spiritual purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas performed with samādhāna (focused composure) as a form of prāyaścitta.