Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

मुक्ती कुर्वंति तीर्थानि ये च दुष्टावरोधतः । ममावरोधे ते मान्या औरसास्तनया इव

Transliteration

muktī kurvaṃti tīrthāni ye ca duṣṭāvarodhataḥ | mamāvarodhe te mānyā aurasāstanayā iva

Translation

Those who enable the tīrthas to grant liberation by restraining the wicked—such people, as my attendants, are honored by me like my own born sons.

Word by Word

• मुक्ती: two liberations / liberations (dual form)
• मुक्ती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Fem., Acc., Du.)

• कुर्वन्ति: bring about
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (they make)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Pl.)

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दुष्टावरोधतः: due to obstruction by the wicked
• दुष्टावरोधतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दुष्ट + अवरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासभावः (दुष्टानाम् अवरोधः) + तः = 'because of obstruction by the wicked'

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Gen., Sg.)

• अवरोधे: in (my) enclosure/protection
• अवरोधे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Loc., Sg.)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• मान्याः: honorable/esteemed
• मान्याः: Karta (Predicate-adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• औरसास्तनयाः: legitimate sons
• औरसास्तनयाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औरस + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (औरसाः तनयाः = 'legitimate sons') (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison: like/as)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tīrthas (collective)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/guardians/householders

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Guardians or righteous officials prevent wrongdoers from disturbing pilgrims at a Kāśī ghāṭ; the tīrtha shines unobstructed, and a divine presence honors the protectors like sons.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding sacred spaces and preventing harm to pilgrims is itself a liberating service, honored as intimate devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrthas; within Kāśī Khaṇḍa it supports the theme of protecting holy geography like Kāśī and its pilgrimage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it prescribes dharma-rakṣaṇa—restraining wrongdoers to preserve tīrtha sanctity.