Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा दशाश्वमेधेशं सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā daśāśvamedheśaṃ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

ദശാശ്വമേധേശനെ ദർശിച്ചതുമാത്രത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: दृश्; अर्थे: ‘दृष्ट्वा’ = having seen

• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: the lord of Daśāśvamedha
• दशाश्वमेधेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशाश्वमेध + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशाश्वमेधस्य ईशः)

• सर्वपापैः: from all sins
• सर्वपापैः: Apādāna (Source/Separation; ‘from sins’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed / is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedheśa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands with folded hands before the Daśāśvamedheśa liṅga near the bustling Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭ; Gaṅgā flows behind with lamps and boats, while priests perform ārati.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedheśa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (reverent seeing) of a highly praised Śiva-liṅga in Kāśī is itself a purifying act that dissolves accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedheśa / Daśāśvamedha tīrtha area of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), revered as a Śiva-centered sacred locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the salvific power of darśana (beholding) itself.