Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

कृत्वाप्यघान्येव महांत्यपीह धर्मेश्वरार्चां सकृदेव कुर्वन् । कुतो बिभेति प्रियबंधुरेव तव त्वदीयार्चित लिंगभक्तः

Transliteration

kṛtvāpyaghānyeva mahāṃtyapīha dharmeśvarārcāṃ sakṛdeva kurvan | kuto bibheti priyabaṃdhureva tava tvadīyārcita liṃgabhaktaḥ

Translation

Even if one has committed great sins in this world, by worshipping Dharmeśvara even once, how could he ever fear? He becomes, as it were, your dear kinsman, being a devotee of the liṅga worshipped as yours.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having committed
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund: having done)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even)

• अघानि: sins
• अघानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (accusative plural: sins)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• महान्ति: great
• महान्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (qualifying अघानि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• धर्मेश्वरार्चाम्: worship of Dharmeshvara
• धर्मेश्वरार्चाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर + अर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (धर्मेश्वरस्य अर्चा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (once)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (present participle: doing)

• कुतः: how/why
• कुतः: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न/हेतुवाचक (whence/how/why)

• बिभेति: fears
• बिभेति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रियबन्धुः: a dear kinsman/friend
• प्रियबन्धुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (प्रियः बन्धुः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन; (of you/your)

• त्वदीयार्चित: worshipped by you/your-worshipped
• त्वदीयार्चित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय + अर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (त्वदीयेन अर्चितम्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (qualifying liṅgabhaktaḥ)

• लिङ्गभक्तः: devotee of the liṅga
• लिङ्गभक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (लिङ्गस्य भक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A repentant sinner performs a single worship of Dharmeśvara; fear dissolves; Dharma regards him as a dear kinsman due to devotion to the liṅga associated with Dharma’s own worship.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśvara
• Śiva-liṅga
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single act of sincere worship can transform the sinner’s destiny into fearlessness through Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmeśvara shrine in Kāśī (within the Dharma-pīṭha context of this chapter).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing dharmeśvarārcā (worship of Dharmeśvara) even once.