Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

विपाशयंति ये पुण्या दुर्वृतैः कंठपाशितान् । ते पाशपाणे लोकेस्मिन्निवसंत्यकुतोभयाः

Transliteration

vipāśayaṃti ye puṇyā durvṛtaiḥ kaṃṭhapāśitān | te pāśapāṇe lokesminnivasaṃtyakutobhayāḥ

Translation

悪しき者により喉を縄で締められた人々の結び目を解き放つ徳ある者は、あらゆる方角の恐れから解放され、この羂索を執る者（パーシャパーニ）の界に無畏に住する。

Word by Word

• विपाशयन्ति: release/unbind
• विपाशयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-पाś (धातु) / पाś् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (Causative: ‘cause to be unbound/release’)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• पुण्याः: virtuous/meritorious
• पुण्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विशेषण (ये इति)

• दुर्वृतैः: by evil-doers / by wicked conduct
• दुर्वृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—दुर् + वृत (कर्मधारयः: ‘दुष्टं वृतम्/आचरणम्’)

• कण्ठपाशितान्: those bound by a noose at the neck
• कण्ठपाशितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + क्त (कृत्) → पाशित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कण्ठपाश (तत्पुरुषः) + पाशित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘पाशेन बद्ध’)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• पाशपाणे: in the realm of Yama (the noose-in-hand)
• पाशपाणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—पाशः पाणौ यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहिः); ‘पाशपाणि’ = यम

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• निवसन्ति: dwell/live
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अकुतोभयाः: having no fear from anywhere
• अकुतोभयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकुतोभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कुतः (अव्यय) + भय (अव्ययीभावः: ‘कुतो न भयम्’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ethical phala-śruti)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bound person with a tightened rope at the neck is released by a righteous rescuer; in the background, a stern yet just Pāśapāṇi figure symbolizes karmic order and the promised realm.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśapāṇi
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To save others from deadly harm and bondage is a high dharma that grants the rescuer spiritual fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is framed within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma-mahātmyam; it emphasizes karmic fruit more than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Active rescue—releasing those bound by wrongdoers—presented as an exalted form of abhaya-dāna.