Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इमां स्तुतिं नरो जप्त्वा परं नियतमानसः । मानसैरपि पापैस्तैर्नाभिभूयेत कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

imāṃ stutiṃ naro japtvā paraṃ niyatamānasaḥ | mānasairapi pāpaistairnābhibhūyeta karhicit

Translation

പരമമായി നിയന്ത്രിതമായ മനസ്സോടെ ഈ സ്തുതിയെ ജപിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ, മനസ്സിൽ ഉദിക്കുന്ന പാപങ്ങളാലും ഒരിക്കലും കീഴടക്കപ്പെടുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• स्तुतिम्: hymn
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (अव्यय-भावे), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (gerund/absolutive: having recited)

• परम्: greatly/entirely
• परम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (neuter singular used adverbially: greatly/entirely)

• नियतमानसः: with controlled mind
• नियतमानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत-मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Masculine, Nominative singular; 'one whose mind is restrained')

• मानसैः: mental
• मानसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Instrumental plural; adjective qualifying 'पापैः')

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• पापैः: by sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental plural)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Instrumental plural; demonstrative adjective)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अभिभूयेत: would be overcome
• अभिभूयेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, ātmanepada, 3rd person singular)

• कर्हिचित्: ever
• कर्हिचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हिचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ever/at any time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ḍhuṃḍhi-stotra discipline)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: disciplined reciter (niyata-manas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee chants steadily; within a haloed mind-space, dark thought-forms dissolve into clear light, symbolizing victory over manasa-pāpa.

Characters & Entities

• Stuti (hymn)
• Mānasa pāpa (mental sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner discipline joined to devotion purifies even the subtle realm of thought, preventing sin from taking hold.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-kṣetra narrative, where hymns and japa gain special sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the stuti with niyata-mānasa—focused, regulated mental attention.