Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । शिवशर्मञ्छृणु कथामेतां पापापहारिणीम् । स्वर्गमार्गविनोदाय तापत्रयविनाशिनीम्

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | śivaśarmañchṛṇu kathāmetāṃ pāpāpahāriṇīm | svargamārgavinodāya tāpatrayavināśinīm

Translation

ഗണങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ശിവശർമനേ, പാപം അകറ്റുന്ന ഈ കഥ കേൾക്കുക; ഇത് സ്വർഗമാർഗത്തിൽ ആനന്ദം നൽകുകയും ത്രിതാപം നശിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• gaṇau: the two attendants (gaṇas)
• gaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ūcatuḥ: said (the two)
• ūcatuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• śivaśarman: O Śivaśarman
• śivaśarman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivaśarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• kathām: story, account
• kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• etām: this
• etām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective/pronominal)

• pāpa-apahāriṇīm: sin-removing
• pāpa-apahāriṇīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + apahāriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (qualifying kathām)

• svarga-mārga-vinodāya: for the delight of the path to heaven
• svarga-mārga-vinodāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक) + vinoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (dative of purpose)

• tāpa-traya-vināśinīm: destroying the threefold sufferings
• tāpa-traya-vināśinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (qualifying kathām)

Speaker

Bhagavad-gaṇas (two attendants)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two gaṇas speak with compassionate authority; their words appear as luminous script dissolving dark smoke (sins) and three thorny flames (threefold afflictions).

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarman
• Bhagavad-gaṇas
• Svarga (heaven)
• Tāpatraya (threefold suffering)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing sacred Purāṇic kathā is itself a sādhanā—removing sin and easing life’s threefold sufferings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the overarching setting; this verse introduces a sin-removing kathā rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) to the kathā is prescribed.