Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

नारदेश्वर पूर्वेण दृष्ट्वाऽवभ्रातकेश्वरम् । निर्मलां गतिमाप्नोति पापौघं च विमुंचति

Transliteration

nāradeśvara pūrveṇa dṛṣṭvā'vabhrātakeśvaram | nirmalāṃ gatimāpnoti pāpaughaṃ ca vimuṃcati

Translation

നാരദേശ്വരത്തിന്റെ കിഴക്കുവശത്ത് അവഭ്രാതകേശ്വരനെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ ഭക്തൻ നിർമ്മലഗതി പ്രാപിക്കുകയും പാപപ്രവാഹത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• नारदेश्वर: (at) Nāradeśvara
• नारदेश्वर: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारदस्य ईश्वरः)

• पूर्वेण: to the east (by the eastern side)
• पूर्वेण: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषणम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having seen’

• अवभ्रातकेश्वरम्: Avabhrātakeśvara (the Lord of Avabhrātaka)
• अवभ्रातकेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवभ्रातक-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अवभ्रातकस्य ईश्वरः)

• निर्मलाम्: pure
• निर्मलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गतिम्’ विशेषयति

• गतिम्: state/goal, path (destiny)
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पापौघम्: a flood/heap of sins
• पापौघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासभावः (पापानाम् ओघः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• विमुंचति: releases, casts off
• विमुंचति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avabhrātakeśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A great sage (context continues explicitly in v.61: ‘mahāmune’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim moves eastward from Nāradeśvara through narrow Kāśī lanes, arriving at Avabhrātakeśvara; the liṅga is garlanded, lamps flicker, and the devotee’s posture conveys inner cleansing and resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Nāradeśvara
• Avabhrātakeśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of Śiva at a sanctified Kāśī-liṅga purifies one’s destiny and dissolves accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avabhrātakeśvara, located east of Nāradeśvara within the Kāśī sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act emphasized is darśana—reverent viewing/visiting of Avabhrātakeśvara.