Shloka 51

Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation

Devanagari script

यदि पापो यदि शठो यदि वाधार्मिको नरः / वाराणसीं समासाद्य पुनाति सकलं नरः

Transliteration

yadi pāpo yadi śaṭho yadi vādhārmiko naraḥ / vārāṇasīṃ samāsādya punāti sakalaṃ naraḥ

Translation

Walaupun seseorang itu berdosa, walaupun licik, walaupun tidak berpegang pada dharma; apabila sampai ke Vārāṇasī, dia menyucikan seluruh dirinya.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• पापः: sinful
• पापः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात

• शठः: deceitful
• शठः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/avyaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात

• वा: or/even
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle: or/even)

• अधार्मिकः: unrighteous
• अधार्मिकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘नरः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्यय: gerund), ‘having approached/reached’

• पुनाति: purifies
• पुनाति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सकलम्: the whole (all of it)
• सकलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अर्थतः ‘सकलं पापम्/सकलं दोषम्’ इति लुप्त-विशेष्यक)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic discourse voice, traditionally Sūta reporting the teaching of the sages)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kāśī

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it emphasizes inner purification (śuddhi) as the prerequisite for realizing the Self; the tīrtha’s sanctity is presented as aiding the removal of pāpa and adharma that veil ātma-jñāna.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse highlights tīrtha-sevā—approaching a sacred kṣetra like Vārāṇasī for purification—often paired in the Purāṇic framework with snāna, japa, vrata, and śiva/viṣṇu-bhakti as preparatory disciplines supportive of yogic steadiness.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By praising Kāśī (classically associated with Śiva) within the Kurma Purana’s Vaiṣṇava voice, it reflects the text’s synthetic stance: sacred power and liberation-function are shared across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava horizons rather than treated as mutually exclusive.