Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 204

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाध्यायमिमं पुण्यं व्यासशाप विमोक्षणम् । महादुर्गोपसर्गेभ्यो भयं तस्य न कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

śrutvādhyāyamimaṃ puṇyaṃ vyāsaśāpa vimokṣaṇam | mahādurgopasargebhyo bhayaṃ tasya na kutracit

Translation

“Having heard this holy chapter—the one that brings release from Vyāsa’s curse—he will have no fear anywhere from great calamities and severe afflictions.”

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु; श्रवणे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: having heard)

• अध्यायम्: chapter/recitation
• अध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with अध्यायम्)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with अध्यायम्)

• व्यासशापविमोक्षणम्: the release from Vyāsa’s curse
• व्यासशापविमोक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (व्यासस्य शापस्य विमोक्षणम् = release from Vyāsa's curse); अध्यायस्य विशेषणरूपेण

• महादुर्गोपसर्गेभ्यः: from great calamities/afflictions
• महादुर्गोपसर्गेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (महादुर्गाः उपसर्गाः = great calamities/afflictions)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (not)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere/ever
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite locative adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Skanda’s discourse (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāsa-śāpa-vimokṣa adhyāya (Kāśī-māhātmya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage assembly listens as the sacred chapter is recited; a protective aura forms around the listener, while shadowy forms of calamity dissolve at the edges.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) to sacred māhātmya texts is itself a dharmic practice that grants protection and inner fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī-kṣetra, since the chapter’s merit is framed within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing/reciting this specific chapter (adhyāya-śravaṇa/pāṭha) as a spiritual practice for protection from calamities.