Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ध्रुवा हि धूतपापासौ यस्या ईदृग्विधा मतिः । ईदृग्विधैर्गुणगणैर्गरिम्णा कोत्र वै भवेत्

Transliteration

dhruvā hi dhūtapāpāsau yasyā īdṛgvidhā matiḥ | īdṛgvidhairguṇagaṇairgarimṇā kotra vai bhavet

Translation

ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ, ಇಂತಹ ಮನಸ್ಸುಳ್ಳವಳ ಪಾಪಗಳು ತೊಳೆದುಹೋಗಿವೆ. ಇಂತಹ ಗುಣಸಮೂಹವಿರುವಲ್ಲಿ ದೋಷಭಾರವು ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ?

Word by Word

• dhruvā: certain/assured
• dhruvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruvā (ध्रुवा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• dhūtapāpā: with sins shaken off
• dhūtapāpā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūta + pāpa (धूत + पाप)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘धूतानि पापानि यस्याः सा’ भावे विशेषण)

• asau: she (that one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (अदस् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yasyāḥ: whose
• yasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• īdṛgvidhā: of such a kind
• īdṛgvidhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛś + vidhā (ईदृश + विधा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘ईदृशी विधा’ = of such a kind)

• matiḥ: mind/understanding
• matiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (मति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• īdṛgvidhaiḥ: by such
• īdṛgvidhaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛgvidha (ईदृग्विध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• guṇagaṇaiḥ: by multitudes of virtues
• guṇagaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa + gaṇa (गुण + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘गुणानां गणः’ = multitude of virtues)

• garimṇā: by greatness/weightiness
• garimṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gariman (गरिमन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• bhavet: could be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda speaking to Agastya, inferred from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative elder speaks of purity and virtues; the maiden stands serene; symbolic imagery of a lotus rising from water, representing mind purified.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A purified intention and virtuous disposition are signs of pāpa-kṣaya (the waning of sin) and the rise of spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī’s sacred narrative, but this verse highlights inner purity rather than a named locality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the emphasis is on guṇas (virtues) and the cleansing effect of a noble mind.