Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मस्तवमिमं जप्त्वा त्रिकालं परिवत्सरम् । अंतकाले भवेज्ज्ञानं येन बंधात्प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

brahmastavamimaṃ japtvā trikālaṃ parivatsaram | aṃtakāle bhavejjñānaṃ yena baṃdhātpramucyate

Translation

हा ब्रह्मस्तव एक वर्ष त्रिकाळ जपल्यास, अंतकाळी असे ज्ञान उत्पन्न होते की ज्यामुळे बंधनातून मुक्ती मिळते.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मस्तवम्: the Brahma-hymn
• ब्रह्मस्तवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘ब्रह्मस्तवम्’

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (daily)
• त्रिकालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (accusative of extent)

• परिवत्सरम्: for a full year
• परिवत्सरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणे (extent of time)

• अन्तकाले: at the final time (at death)
• अन्तकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: may arise/come to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग

• बन्धात्: from bondage
• बन्धात्: Apādāna (Separation/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रमुच्यते: is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Skanda (phalaśruti statement in the Kāśī discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs tri-sandhyā recitation across seasons—dawn, noon, dusk—counting beads; at the final hour, a serene light of knowledge dawns, with a subtle vision of Śiva/liṅga dissolving bonds (chains) into radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Brahmā-stava
• Jñāna
• Mokṣa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, disciplined recitation ripens into liberating knowledge, especially at life’s culmination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is taught within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-māhātmya framework, aligning liberation with Kāśī’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Brahmā-stava three times daily (trikāla) for one full year.