Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं त्वां यः स्मरति भावतः । आधारं जगतामीशं तस्य पापं विलीयते

Transliteration

kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṃ tvāṃ yaḥ smarati bhāvataḥ | ādhāraṃ jagatāmīśaṃ tasya pāpaṃ vilīyate

Translation

വളരെ വലിയ പാപം ചെയ്താലും ഹൃദയഭക്തിയോടെ നിന്നെ സ്മരിക്കുന്നവൻ—ഹേ ജഗദാധാരനായ ഈശ്വരാ! അവന്റെ പാപം ലയിച്ചുപോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having done'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय (particle: 'even/also')

• सुमहत्-पापम्: a very great sin
• सुमहत्-पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः सु-महत्-पाप (कर्मधारय: 'very great sin')

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• स्मरति: remembers
• स्मरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भावतः: with devotion / sincerely
• भावतः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from/with feeling' → 'devoutly, with true intent'

• आधारम्: support, foundation
• आधारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Gen. pl.)

• ईशम्: Lord
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विलीयते: dissolves, disappears
• विलीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A repentant devotee, burdened by past wrongdoing, remembers Śiva with tears and folded hands; above, Śiva as jagad-ādhāra radiates calm, and dark stains (symbolic sins) dissolve into light.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Īśa)
• Jagat (the worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti, especially heartfelt remembrance, is portrayed as a powerful purifier that dissolves even grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

In Kāśī Khaṇḍa, such teachings typically underpin the glory of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a place where devotion to Śiva yields swift purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa (devotional remembrance) of Śiva is the implied practice.