Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तेश्वरात्पश्चाद्वीरभद्रेश्वरं नरः । समर्च्य न रणे भंगं कदाचिदपि चाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

avimukteśvarātpaścādvīrabhadreśvaraṃ naraḥ | samarcya na raṇe bhaṃgaṃ kadācidapi cāpnuyāt

Translation

After worshipping Avimukteśvara, a man should duly worship Vīrabhadreśvara; he will never, at any time, meet defeat in battle.

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तेश्वरात्: from Avimukteśvara
• अविमुक्तेश्वरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अविमुक्तस्य ईश्वरः)

• पश्चात्: afterwards/after
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (postposition/adverb)

• वीरभद्रेश्वरम्: Vīrabhadreśvara
• वीरभद्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वीरभद्रस्य ईश्वरः)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समर्च्य: having worshipped
• समर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपद-धातु; पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-पार्टिकल (negation)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भङ्गम्: defeat/breaking
• भङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle relation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: even/also)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• आप्नुयात्: should obtain/meet with
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukteśvara → Vīrabhadreśvara (Kāśī sequence)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes worship at Avimukteśvara and then approaches Vīrabhadreśvara; the path between shrines is shown as a sacred corridor. A symbolic battlefield vignette shows the devotee protected from defeat by Vīrabhadra’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukteśvara
• Vīrabhadreśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion in Kāśī is linked with dharmic strength: worship of Śiva in his sacred city empowers righteous action and courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukteśvara and Vīrabhadreśvara in Kāśī, presented as connected stations of worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sequence of sam-arcana (proper worship): first Avimukteśvara, then Vīrabhadreśvara.