Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

पशुपाशविमोक्षाय पशूनां पतये नमः । नामोच्चारणमात्रेण महापातकहारिणे

Transliteration

paśupāśavimokṣāya paśūnāṃ pataye namaḥ | nāmoccāraṇamātreṇa mahāpātakahāriṇe

Translation

Salutations to the Lord who frees bound beings from the bonds of worldly existence—to Paśupati, the Master of all creatures. By the mere utterance of His Name, He removes even the gravest sins.

Word by Word

• पशुपाशविमोक्षाय: to (the one who is) the liberator from the bonds of creatures
• पशुपाशविमोक्षाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पशूनां पाशः) + तत्पुरुषः (पशुपाशस्य विमोक्षः)

• पशूनाम्: of beings/creatures
• पशूनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पतये: to the lord
• पतये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• उच्चारण: uttering/pronunciation
• उच्चारण: Upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु) → उच्चारण (प्रातिपदिक, कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक (action noun)

• मात्रेण: by mere measure/only
• मात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘नामा-उच्चारण-मात्रेण’ इति समासे उत्तरपद

• नमोच्चारणमात्रेण: by mere utterance of the name
• नमोच्चारणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् + उच्चारण + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नाम्नः उच्चारणम्) + तत्पुरुषः (उच्चारणस्य मात्रम्)

• महापातकहारिणे: to the remover of great sins
• महापातकहारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (महच्च तत् पातकम्) + तत्पुरुषः (महापातकं हरति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī / Viśveśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī folds hands before Viśveśvara-liṅga; subtle cords (pāśa) fall away as the name ‘Paśupati’ is uttered; Gaṅgā and ghāṭas glow in dawn light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Paśupati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Paśupati liberates beings from bondage; even simple nāma-japa can destroy heavy karmic sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Śiva’s liberating grace is especially celebrated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-ucchāraṇa/nāma-japa—recitation of Śiva’s Name as a purificatory practice.