Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन काशीभक्तिपरैर्नरैः । श्रोतव्यमिदमाख्यानं महाविघ्ननिवारणम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena kāśībhaktiparairnaraiḥ | śrotavyamidamākhyānaṃ mahāvighnanivāraṇam

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് കാശീഭക്തിയിൽ പരായണരായ മനുഷ്യർ സർവ്വശ്രമത്തോടും കൂടി ഈ പുണ്യാഖ്യാനം ശ്രവിക്കണം; ഇത് മഹാവിഘ്നങ്ങളെ നിവാരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘therefore/from that’

• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्व-प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• काशी-भक्ति-परैः: by men devoted to Kāśī
• काशी-भक्ति-परैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (काश्यां भक्तिः, तस्यां पराः)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रोतव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विध्यर्थक-कर्तव्यता (gerundive/obligatory: ‘should be heard’)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आख्यानम्: narrative/account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महा-विघ्न-निवारणम्: (which is) the remover of great obstacles
• महा-विघ्न-निवारणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + निवारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (महान्तः विघ्नाः, तेषां निवारणम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-bhakti-parāḥ narāḥ (devotees) addressed through the sage-listener frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees of Kāśī seated respectfully as a narrator recites the sacred account; an aura of protection surrounds them, with symbolic obstacles dissolving (dark knots/blocks breaking apart) while Kāśī’s skyline and Viśvanātha spire appear behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Bhakti
• Vighna (obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) to Kāśī’s Mahātmya is itself a dharmic practice that clears major impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose Mahātmya is recommended for devotees to hear.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is śravaṇa—listening attentively to the sacred narrative as a means of obstacle-removal.