Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

मोक्षलक्ष्मीविलासाख्य प्रासादस्य विलोकनात् । शरीराद्दूरतो याति ब्रह्महत्यापि नान्यथा

Transliteration

mokṣalakṣmīvilāsākhya prāsādasya vilokanāt | śarīrāddūrato yāti brahmahatyāpi nānyathā

Translation

By merely beholding the palace called “Mokṣalakṣmīvilāsa,” even the sin of brahmahatyā departs far away from one’s body—there is no other result than this.

Word by Word

• मोक्षलक्ष्मीविलासाख्य: (of) the one named ‘Mokṣa-Lakṣmī-Vilāsa’
• मोक्षलक्ष्मीविलासाख्य: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + लक्ष्मी + विलास + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular used as qualifier of ‘प्रासादस्य’: ‘of the palace named…’)

• प्रासादस्य: of the palace
• प्रासादस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine genitive singular)

• विलोकनात्: from seeing; by the sight of
• विलोकनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलोकन (प्रातिपदिक; from वि + √लोक् (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter ablative singular)

• शरीरात्: from the body
• शरीरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter ablative singular)

• दूरतः: far away
• दूरतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय; from दूर)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘from afar/at a distance’)

• याति: goes away, departs
• याति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present, 3rd singular, active)

• ब्रह्महत्या: the sin of brahmin-slaying (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः हत्या) (feminine nominative singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक अव्यय (even)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘otherwise’)

Speaker

Narrator/quoted description within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, continuing the praise of the Mokṣalakṣmīvilāsa prāsāda in Kāśī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mokṣalakṣmīvilāsa Prāsāda

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim (or the narrator figure) gazes upon the radiant palace; from the body, a dark shadow labeled ‘brahmahatyā’ is shown fleeing into the distance, while the palace glows with mokṣa-light.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣalakṣmīvilāsa (palace)
• Brahmahatyā (grave sin)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred power is such that even mere darśana of a sanctified locus can drive away grave sin, emphasizing the city’s extraordinary purificatory grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mokṣalakṣmīvilāsa-named prāsāda (palace/edifice) within Kāśī’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding/visiting for sight) is implied as the efficacious devotional act; no further rite is specified in this verse.