Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तपोविद्यासमिद्दीप्ते हुतं विप्रास्य पावके । तारयेद्विघ्नसंघेभ्यः पापाब्धेरपि दुस्तरात्

Transliteration

tapovidyāsamiddīpte hutaṃ viprāsya pāvake | tārayedvighnasaṃghebhyaḥ pāpābdherapi dustarāt

Translation

An offering made into the fire of a brāhmaṇa—ablaze with austerity and sacred knowledge—carries one across hosts of obstacles, even across the hard-to-cross ocean of sin.

Word by Word

• तपोविद्यासमिद्दीप्ते: in the fire kindled by austerity, learning, and fuel
• तपोविद्यासमिद्दीप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + समिद् (प्रातिपदिक) + दीप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √दीप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः, ‘समिद्दीप्त’ इति कर्मधारयभावः (kindled by fuel)

• हुतम्: an oblation offered
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु) → हुत (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• विप्रस्य: of a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पावके: in the fire
• पावके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तारयेत्: would save / ferry across
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) (तारणे)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense not marked here (simple ‘cause to cross/save’)

• विघ्नसंघेभ्यः: from hosts of obstacles
• विघ्नसंघेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विघ्न-समूह इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• पापाब्धेः: from the ocean of sin
• पापाब्धेः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; पापः अब्धिः इव (ocean of sin) कर्मधारयः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• दुस्तरात्: hard to cross
• दुस्तरात्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक) = दुर् (उपसर्ग) + तर (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √तॄ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘पापाब्धेः’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant brāhmaṇa-sage, surrounded by a subtle aura of firelight, receives offerings; the flames appear as spiritual brilliance; behind, a symbolic ocean of darkness (sin) is crossed by a luminous bridge of fire.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting a brāhmaṇa endowed with tapas and vidyā is portrayed as a powerful purifier that removes obstacles and sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī context, where meritorious acts are celebrated as especially liberating.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa/oblation—making a huta (offering) into the purifying fire associated with a learned, austere brāhmaṇa.