Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तथा प्रमुच्यते चर्णाच्चंद्रोदे पिण्डदानतः । यदा चंद्रेश्वरं द्रष्टुं यायात्कोपि नरोत्तमः

Transliteration

tathā pramucyate carṇāccaṃdrode piṇḍadānataḥ | yadā caṃdreśvaraṃ draṣṭuṃ yāyātkopi narottamaḥ

Translation

Likewise, by offering piṇḍas at Candroda one is released from debt; and when some excellent man sets out to behold Candreśvara,

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• प्रमुच्यते: is completely freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: is released)

• ऋणात्: from debt
• ऋणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान

• चंद्रोदे: at Candrodā (Candrodaka-tīrtha)
• चंद्रोदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-उद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पिण्डदानतः: because of offering piṇḍas (funeral oblations)
• पिण्डदानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादान (ablative of cause: due to)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (when)

• चंद्रेश्वरम्: Candreśvara (Lord of the Moon)
• चंद्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive); प्रयोजन (purpose: to see)

• यायात्: should go
• यायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कः: someone, anyone
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite when with ‘अपि’)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also; with ‘कः’ = anyone)

• नरोत्तमः: the best of men
• नरोत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः नरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candroda-tīrtha; Candreśvara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes piṇḍadāna at the moon-pond and then begins a purposeful walk through Kāśī lanes toward the Candreśvara Śiva shrine, carrying ritual items; the shrine’s liṅga is hinted with a soft lunar glow.

Characters & Entities

• Candroda
• Candreśvara
• ṛṇa (debt/obligation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage in Kāśī unites pitṛ-duty and Śiva-darśana, granting liberation from binding obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Candroda (for piṇḍa-dāna) and Candreśvara (Śiva shrine) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer piṇḍas at Candroda for release from debt, then proceed for the darśana of Candreśvara.