Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

महाबलमवाप्नोति निवार्णनगरं व्रजेत् । ऋणमोचनतः प्राच्यां प्रभासात्क्षेत्रसत्तमात्

Transliteration

mahābalamavāpnoti nivārṇanagaraṃ vrajet | ṛṇamocanataḥ prācyāṃ prabhāsātkṣetrasattamāt

Translation

Through Mahābala one attains great strength, and one should proceed to the city called Nivārṇa. (This merit is said to excel) the eastern Ṛṇamocana and even Prabhāsa, the best of sacred fields.

Word by Word

• महाबलम्: Mahābala (the merit/benefit or the sacred power)
• महाबलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारयः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); फल-रूपेण (as attainment)

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निवार्ण-नगरम्: to Nivārṇa city
• निवार्ण-नगरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवार्ण + नगर (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘निवार्णस्य नगरम्’ (place-name)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विधिः/आदेशः (injunction)

• ऋणमोचनतः: from (the place called) Ṛṇamocana
• ऋणमोचनतः: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋणमोचन (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + तसिल्
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/at Ṛṇamocana’; ‘ऋणस्य मोचनम्’

• प्राच्याम्: in the east
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular); दिक्-वाचक (in the east)

• प्रभासात्: from Prabhāsa
• प्रभासात्: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); स्थान-निर्देशः

• क्षेत्र-सत्तमात्: from the best of sacred fields (holy places)
• क्षेत्र-सत्तमात्: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); ‘क्षेत्राणां सत्तमः’ = best of holy places

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nivārṇa-nagara (to be visited); comparative: Ṛṇamocana (east), Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, newly blessed at Mahābala, sets out with staff and waterpot toward a gate labeled ‘Nivārṇa’; in the background, map-like vignettes show ‘Ṛṇamocana (East)’ and ‘Prabhāsa’ as distant sacred horizons, subtly dimmed to indicate being surpassed.

Characters & Entities

• Mahābala (fruit / liṅga context)
• Nivārṇa-nagara
• Ṛṇamocana
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text frames pilgrimage as a connected sacred itinerary, where Kāśī’s sites are ranked against renowned tīrthas to highlight their superior fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nivārṇa-nagara is pointed to next, with comparative mention of Ṛṇamocana and Prabhāsa to magnify the fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescriptive movement/sequence is implied: after gaining Mahābala’s fruit, one ‘should go’ (vrajet) onward to Nivārṇa-nagara.