Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

विपन्नानां च जंतूनां यत्र विश्वेश्वरः स्वयम् । कर्णे जापं प्रकुरुते कर्मनिर्मूलन क्षमम्

Transliteration

vipannānāṃ ca jaṃtūnāṃ yatra viśveśvaraḥ svayam | karṇe jāpaṃ prakurute karmanirmūlana kṣamam

Translation

«Là, pour les êtres accablés, Viśveśvara lui-même murmure le mantra à l’oreille, assez puissant pour déraciner le karma».

Word by Word

• विपन्नानाम्: of the distressed
• विपन्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √पद्/√पत्-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (जंतूनाम् इत्यस्य), षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• जंतूनाम्: of beings/creatures
• जंतूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धसूचक (relative adverb: where)

• विश्वेश्वरः: Viśveśvara
• विश्वेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-nirdeśa (Emphasis on agent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक/स्वतन्त्रताबोधक (emphatic particle: himself)

• कर्णे: in the ear
• कर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जापम्: japa (muttered recitation)
• जापम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रकुरुते: performs
• प्रकुरुते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमम्: capable of uprooting karma
• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म + निर्मूलन + क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: कर्मणां निर्मूलने क्षमम्; जापम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Bhagavān (continuing the Dhruva dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhruva (context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within a quiet Kāśī chamber near the ghāṭs, a distressed or dying being lies attended; Viśveśvara’s compassionate presence (anthropomorphic Śiva or luminous liṅga) leans close to whisper a mantra into the ear; karmic bonds depicted as dark vines dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśvara
• Kāśī
• Karma
• Karṇa-japa (ear-whispered mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace at Kāśī is described as immediately transformative—capable of cutting the roots of karmic bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī, where Viśveśvara is said to grant ear-whispered liberation-mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Karṇe-jāpa (ear-whispered mantra/japa), associated with liberation in Kāśī.