Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

धूतपापोवाच । पितामह वरो मह्यं यदि देयो वरप्रद । सर्वेभ्यः पावनेभ्योपि कुरु मामतिपावनीम्

Transliteration

dhūtapāpovāca | pitāmaha varo mahyaṃ yadi deyo varaprada | sarvebhyaḥ pāvanebhyopi kuru māmatipāvanīm

Translation

ധൂതപാപാ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ പിതാമഹാ, ഹേ വരപ്രദാ! എനിക്ക് വരം നൽകണമെങ്കിൽ, എല്ലാ പാവനങ്ങളെയും കവിയുന്ന അതിപാവനിയായെനിക്ക് ആക്കണമേ.

Word by Word

• धूतपापः: Dhūtapāpa (one whose sins are removed)
• धूतपापः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूत + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘धूतानि पापानि यस्य/यस्या’ (name/epithet)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पितामह: O Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामह: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional particle)

• देयः: is to be given
• देयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देय (दा धातु; यत्-प्रत्यय/कृत्य)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्) ‘देय’ = ‘to be given’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वरः इति विशेषण

• वरप्रद: O giver of boons
• वरप्रद: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘वरस्य प्रदः’

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all (others)
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; ‘from all’ (with comparative sense)

• पावनेभ्यः: (from) purifiers
• पावनेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन; ‘purifiers/holy ones’

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

• कुरु: make
• कुरु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग-प्रयोग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अतिपावनीम्: most purifying
• अतिपावनीम्: Karma-pradhana Visheshana (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + पावनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘very purifying/most purifying’ (qualifies mām)

Speaker

Dhūtapāpā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhūtapāpā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhūtapāpā, radiant and earnest, speaks with folded hands to Brahmā: her request is depicted as a beam of light rising from her heart toward the creator, symbolizing the wish to surpass all purifiers in beneficence.

Characters & Entities

• Dhūtapāpā
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest aspiration is not enjoyment but becoming a source of purification and benefit for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse foreshadows the emergence/recognition of a supremely purifying entity (often a tīrtha or sacred presence) within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the boon-request frames a tīrtha-like purificatory potency (pāvanatva) as the spiritual goal.