Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

मुक्ती कुर्वंति तीर्थानि ये च दुष्टावरोधतः । ममावरोधे ते मान्या औरसास्तनया इव

Transliteration

muktī kurvaṃti tīrthāni ye ca duṣṭāvarodhataḥ | mamāvarodhe te mānyā aurasāstanayā iva

Translation

ദുഷ്ടരെ തടഞ്ഞ് തീർത്ഥങ്ങളെ മോക്ഷദായകമാക്കുന്നവർ—അവർ എന്റെ പരിചാരകവൃന്ദത്തിൽ എനിക്ക് ജന്മപുത്രന്മാരെപ്പോലെ ആദരണീയരാണ്।

Word by Word

• मुक्ती: two liberations / liberations (dual form)
• मुक्ती: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Fem., Acc., Du.)

• कुर्वन्ति: bring about
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (they make)

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Pl.)

• ये: which/that (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दुष्टावरोधतः: due to obstruction by the wicked
• दुष्टावरोधतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दुष्ट + अवरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-समासभावः (दुष्टानाम् अवरोधः) + तः = 'because of obstruction by the wicked'

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Gen., Sg.)

• अवरोधे: in (my) enclosure/protection
• अवरोधे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Loc., Sg.)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• मान्याः: honorable/esteemed
• मान्याः: Karta (Predicate-adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• औरसास्तनयाः: legitimate sons
• औरसास्तनयाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औरस + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (औरसाः तनयाः = 'legitimate sons') (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison-marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison: like/as)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-tīrthas (collective)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/guardians/householders

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Guardians or righteous officials prevent wrongdoers from disturbing pilgrims at a Kāśī ghāṭ; the tīrtha shines unobstructed, and a divine presence honors the protectors like sons.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding sacred spaces and preventing harm to pilgrims is itself a liberating service, honored as intimate devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of tīrthas; within Kāśī Khaṇḍa it supports the theme of protecting holy geography like Kāśī and its pilgrimage culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it prescribes dharma-rakṣaṇa—restraining wrongdoers to preserve tīrtha sanctity.