Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पुरश्चरणकामश्चेद्भीतोसि यदि पापतः । मन्यसे यदि नः सत्यं वाक्यशास्त्रप्रमाणतः

Transliteration

puraścaraṇakāmaścedbhītosi yadi pāpataḥ | manyase yadi naḥ satyaṃ vākyaśāstrapramāṇataḥ

Translation

നിനക്ക് പുരശ്ചരണം ചെയ്യുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹമുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, പാപം കാരണം ഭീതനാണെങ്കിൽ, വാക്യവും ശാസ്ത്രപ്രമാണവും പ്രകാരം ഞങ്ങളുടെ വചനം സത്യമെന്ന് കരുതുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ—

Word by Word

• puraścaraṇa-kāmaḥ: one who desires (to do) puraścaraṇa
• puraścaraṇa-kāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puraścaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरश्चरणस्य कामः)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• bhītaḥ: afraid
• bhītaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta (कृदन्त; √bhī भी + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'tvam' (अध्याहृत) इति विशेषण

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-निपात (conditional)

• pāpataḥ: from sin / because of sin
• pāpataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे अपादान (from/ due to)

• manyase: you think
• manyase: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन्)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-निपात

• naḥ: of us / our
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-शब्दः (enclitic)

• satyam: true
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेय/कर्मरूपे

• vākya-śāstra-pramāṇataḥ: on the authority of scripture and statements
• vākya-śāstra-pramāṇataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त (ablatival adverb) 'प्रमाणतः' = 'as authority/from the standpoint of proof'; पूर्वपद-द्वन्द्व/समाहार-भावेन 'वाक्यशास्त्र' + तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta/Ānandakānana implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A seeker fearful of sin and interested in puraścaraṇa (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful pilgrim with folded hands consults a learned guide; in the background, a small shrine and japa-mālā indicate preparation for puraścaraṇa; the atmosphere is penitential yet hopeful.

Characters & Entities

• Puraścaraṇa
• Śāstra-pramāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline (like puraścaraṇa) should be grounded in śāstra-pramāṇa and motivated by sincere repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered framework of purification and practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Puraścaraṇa is explicitly referenced as a desired/commended discipline (details are continued in subsequent verses).