Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नामश्रवणमात्रेण यस्य विश्वेशितुर्विभोः । महापातकविच्छेदः स विश्वेशोऽस्तु ते हृदि

Transliteration

nāmaśravaṇamātreṇa yasya viśveśiturvibhoḥ | mahāpātakavicchedaḥ sa viśveśo'stu te hṛdi

Translation

സർവ്വശക്തനായ വിശ്വേശിതൃ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ നാമം കേൾക്കുന്നതുമാത്രത്തിൽ മഹാപാപങ്ങൾ ഛേദിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; ആ വിശ്വേശൻ നിന്റെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ വസിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• नामश्रवणमात्रेण: by mere hearing of the name
• नामश्रवणमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—(नामश्रवण) षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + (नामश्रवणमात्र) कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अर्थः—"केवल-नामश्रवण" इति करणम्

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशः

• विश्वेशितुः: of the Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेशितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), एकवचन; "विश्वेशितृ" = विश्वस्य ईशिता (lord of the universe)

• विभोः: of the all-pervading one
• विभोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते, अत्र षष्ठी-संबन्धः

• महापातकविच्छेदः: the cutting off of great sins
• महापातकविच्छेदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + विच्छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; समासः—महापातकस्य विच्छेदः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स: he/that (one)
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशः

• विश्वेशः: Viśveśa (Lord of all)
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्यः—शिवः

• अस्तु: may (he) be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्ग-प्रायः—"let (him) be"

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th), एकवचन; "your"

• हृदि: in (your) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpāla (king) addressed as ‘te’

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee hears the Name ‘Viśveśa’; dark clouds of sin disperse; within the heart-lotus a radiant liṅga/Śiva form appears, blessing with abhaya.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśitṛ/Viśveśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Mahāpātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nāma-śravaṇa itself is purifying; devotion begins with hearing and culminates in inner transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through the salvific Name and presence of Viśveśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-śravaṇa (hearing the divine Name) is explicitly praised as a purifier.