Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । शृण्वगस्त्य महाभाग कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । नैःश्रेयस्याः श्रियोहेतुमविमुक्त समाश्रयाम्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | śṛṇvagastya mahābhāga kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm | naiḥśreyasyāḥ śriyohetumavimukta samāśrayām

Translation

സ്കന്ദൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ്യനായ അഗസ്ത്യാ! പാപനാശിനിയായ ഈ കഥ ശ്രവിക്ക; നൈഃശ്രേയസത്തിന്റെ ശ്രീയ്ക്ക് കാരണവും പരമാശ്രയവും ആയ അവിമുക്തം തന്നേ।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; “said”

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Imperative/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; “hear!”

• अगस्त्य: O Agastya
• अगस्त्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative singular)

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Epithet/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्य)

• कथाम्: story, account
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• पाप-प्रणाशिनीम्: sin-destroying
• पाप-प्रणाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य प्रणाशिनी = destroyer of sin)

• नैःश्रेयस्याः: of the highest good (liberation)
• नैःश्रेयस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैःश्रेयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• श्रियः: of prosperity, fortune
• श्रियः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular)

• हेतुम्: cause
• हेतुम्: Karma (Apposition/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• अविमुक्त: O Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्त: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative); स्थाननाम

• समाश्रयाम्: taking refuge in (Avimukta)
• समाश्रयाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+श्रि (धातु) → समाश्रया (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; “having as refuge/depending on” (कथाम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda addresses Agastya directly, inviting him to listen; the atmosphere is didactic and devotional, with Agastya seated in attentive posture, surrounded by sages; a subtle icon of Kāśī (Gaṅgā, ghāṭas, liṅga) anchors the theme.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avimukta-centered remembrance and teaching is portrayed as a direct means to destroy sin and orient life toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing (śravaṇa) of the Avimukta-kathā itself is presented as spiritually efficacious.