Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

धर्मेतरपथस्थानामुपसंहृतये हरे । हेतुमात्रं भवान्यस्मात्स्वकर्मनिहता हि ते

Transliteration

dharmetarapathasthānāmupasaṃhṛtaye hare | hetumātraṃ bhavānyasmātsvakarmanihatā hi te

Translation

ഹേ ഹരി! ധർമ്മേതര പഥങ്ങളിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നവരുടെ ഉപസംഹാരത്തിൽ നീ വെറും നിമിത്തമാത്രം; അവർ തങ്ങളുടെ സ്വകർമ്മഫലത്താൽ തന്നെയെ സത്യമായി നിഹതരാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• धर्मेतरपथस्थानाम्: of those who stand on paths other than dharma
• धर्मेतरपथस्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + इतर (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—धर्म-इतर-पथ-स्थान (तत्पुरुष), ‘धर्मेतरपथे स्थिताः’ इत्यर्थे

• उपसंहृतये: for the destruction/withdrawal
• उपसंहृतये: Sampradana (Dative purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-सम्-हृ (धातु) → उपसंहृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/अर्थे

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• हेतुमात्रम्: a mere instrument/cause
• हेतुमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—हेतुः एव मात्रम् (कर्मधारय)

• भवानि: O Bhavānī
• भवानि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• अस्मात्: from me
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• स्वकर्मनिहताः: killed by their own deeds
• स्वकर्मनिहताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + नि-हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—स्वकर्मणा निहताः (तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेतौ/निश्चये

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm theological dialogue in Kāśī: a devotee addresses Hari, while the city’s ghats and temples stand as silent witnesses to karmic law; adharma-path travelers fade like shadows as their own deeds return.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine action operates as an instrument of cosmic justice; beings ultimately meet the results of their own karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching is embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader sanctifying narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents a doctrinal statement about karma and the role of the divine.