Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

महापापौघशमनं महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम् । महाभीतिप्रशमनं महाभक्तिविवर्धनम्

Transliteration

mahāpāpaughaśamanaṃ mahāpuṇyapravardhanam | mahābhītipraśamanaṃ mahābhaktivivardhanam

Translation

ഇത് മഹാപാപങ്ങളുടെ പ്രളയം ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്നു, മഹാപുണ്യം വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു, മഹാഭയം അകറ്റുന്നു, മഹാഭക്തി വളർത്തുന്നു।

Word by Word

• महापापौघशमनम्: the pacifier of a great flood of sins
• महापापौघशमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-पाप-ओघ-शमन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (महान् पापौघः तस्य शमनम्); विशेषणम् (स्तोत्रम्, पूर्वश्लोकात्)

• महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम्: the increaser of great merit
• महापुण्यप्रवर्धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-पुण्य-प्रवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महान् पुण्यः तस्य प्रवर्धनम्); विशेषणम् (स्तोत्रम्)

• महाभीतिप्रशमनम्: the remover of great fear
• महाभीतिप्रशमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-भीति-प्रशमन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महाभीतेः प्रशमनम्); विशेषणम् (स्तोत्रम्)

• महाभक्तिविवर्धनम्: the enhancer of great devotion
• महाभक्तिविवर्धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-भक्ति-विवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महाभक्तेः विवर्धनम्); विशेषणम् (स्तोत्रम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaigīṣavyeśvara (via its stotra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotee/ascetic addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fourfold effect visualized: dark clouds of sin dissolving, a scale of merit rising, a frightened devotee becoming calm, and a heart-lotus blooming with devotion before the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Stotra (hymn)
• Kāśī
• Jaigīṣavya context

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recitation-centered devotion is presented as simultaneously purifying, protective, and bhakti-enhancing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Jaigīṣavyeśvara/Jaigīṣavya sacred setting in Kāśī where the stotra is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stotra-japa (repetition of the hymn), implied by the stated fruits.