Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नैरृते दंढपाणस्तु विराधेशं प्रयत्नतः । नत्वा सर्वापराधेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

nairṛte daṃḍhapāṇastu virādheśaṃ prayatnataḥ | natvā sarvāparādhebhyo mucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

നൈഋത്യ ദിക്കിൽ ദണ്ഡപാണി പരിശ്രമപൂർവം വിരാധേശനെ നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നവൻ സർവ്വ അപരാധങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകും; സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• नैरृते: in the south-west (Nairṛta) direction
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिशि/देशे (locative: in the Nairṛta quarter)

• दण्डपाणः: Daṇḍapāṇi (staff-in-hand, a deity/attendant)
• दण्डपाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• विराधेशम्: Virādheśa (the Lord)
• विराधेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराध-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• नत्वा: having bowed (saluted)
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having bowed)

• सर्वापराधेभ्यः: from all offences
• सर्वापराधेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-अपराध (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अपराध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन; अपादान (ablative: from)

• मुच्यते: is freed/released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virādheśa (Nairṛta-dik)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the south-west quarter of Kāśī, Daṇḍapāṇi stands as a stern guardian figure with staff, while a devotee bows intensely before the Virādheśa liṅga, the mood shifting from fear to relief.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Virādheśa
• South-west (Nairṛta) direction

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble surrender (namaskāra) joined with earnest effort becomes a powerful purificatory act within Kāśī’s sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Virādheśa in Kāśī, referenced along with the Nairṛta (south-west) directional placement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nati/namaskāra (bowing) and devoted approach (prayatna) to Virādheśa for release from all aparādhas.