Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तदघप्रतिघं विष्णो चराम्येतद्व्रतं शुभम् । एवमुक्तो महेशेन पुंडरीकविलोचनः

Transliteration

tadaghapratighaṃ viṣṇo carāmyetadvrataṃ śubham | evamukto maheśena puṃḍarīkavilocanaḥ

Translation

‘ഹേ വിഷ്ണോ, ആ പാപത്തിന്റെ പ്രതിഘാതത്തിനായി ഞാൻ ഈ ശുഭവ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു.’ മഹേശൻ ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ പദ്മനയനൻ വിഷ്ണു കേട്ടു।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun (referring to 'that')

• अघप्रतिघम्: the counteraction to sin / sin-destroyer
• अघप्रतिघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ + प्रतिघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अघस्य प्रतिघः = sin-destroying counteraction)

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case/vocative), एकवचन

• चरामि: I practice / I observe
• चरामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; adjective qualifying व्रतम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• उक्तः: having been spoken to
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• महेशेन: by Maheśa
• महेशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/करण), एकवचन

• पुण्डरीकविलोचनः: the lotus-eyed one
• पुण्डरीकविलोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक + वि + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पुण्डरीकसदृशे विलोचने यस्य)

Speaker

Śiva (to Viṣṇu), with narration noting Viṣṇu as listener

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of Kāśīkhaṇḍa; in-scene: Śiva speaking, Viṣṇu listening

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva declares he undertakes an auspicious vow to counteract the sin; Viṣṇu, lotus-eyed, listens attentively—calm after revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśa)
• Viṣṇu (Puṇḍarīkavilocana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vows (vrata) can function as dharmic expiation and teaching; righteousness includes accepting disciplines that purify and instruct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vow’s significance is situated within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Kāśī is celebrated as the sacred theatre of Śiva’s purifying acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of a śubha-vrata (auspicious vow) undertaken specifically as aghapratigha—counteraction of sin.