Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

कृत्वाप्यघानामिह यः सहस्रं धर्मेश्वरं पश्यति दैवयोगात् । सहेतनो जातु स नारकीं व्यथां कथां तदीयां दिविकुर्वतेमराः

Transliteration

kṛtvāpyaghānāmiha yaḥ sahasraṃ dharmeśvaraṃ paśyati daivayogāt | sahetano jātu sa nārakīṃ vyathāṃ kathāṃ tadīyāṃ divikurvatemarāḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ ആയിരം പാപങ്ങൾ ചെയ്തിട്ടും ദൈവയോഗത്താൽ ധർമ്മേശ്വരനെ ദർശിക്കുന്നവൻ ദേഹസഹിത ഒരിക്കലും നരകവേദന അനുഭവിക്കുകയില്ല; സ്വർഗത്തിൽ ദേവന്മാർ ആ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ കഥയെ ഉത്സവമായി ആചരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund: having done/committed)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• अघानाम्: of sins
• अघानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (genitive plural: of sins)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/in this world)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (accusative of measure/number)

• धर्मेश्वरम्: Dharmeśvara
• धर्मेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दैवयोगात्: by divine dispensation
• दैवयोगात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (दैवेन योगः/दैवस्य योगः); पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; (ablative: due to divine conjunction/fate)

• सहेतनः: with cause/for a reason
• सहेतनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + हेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (सः हेतनः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (having a cause/with reason)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (ever/at any time)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• नारकीम्: hellish
• नारकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (accusative singular; qualifying व्यथाम्)

• व्यथाम्: pain/torment
• व्यथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• कथाम्: even the mention/story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (apposition to व्यथाम्: 'a tale/mention')

• तदीयाम्: of that
• तदीयाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; (qualifying कथाम्: of that/thereof)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; (locative: in heaven)

• कुर्वते: make/do
• कुर्वते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (they do/make)

• अमराः: the gods
• अमराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (liṅga)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A burdened sinner is led by providence to behold Dharmeśvara; the shadow of hell recedes, while devas in heaven rejoice and narrate the Lord’s glory.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmeśvara
• Amarāḥ (gods)
• Naraka (hell, concept)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmeśvara’s darśana is portrayed as a powerful purifier that nullifies even heavy sin and averts hellish suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred presence of Dharmeśvara in Kāśī (and its associated tīrtha-context in this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Dharmeśvara is emphasized; no additional rite is required in this verse beyond the providential encounter.