Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । पठित्वा पाठयित्वा च रहस्याख्यानमुत्तमम् । श्रद्धालुः पातकैर्मुक्तः शिवलोके महीयते

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | paṭhitvā pāṭhayitvā ca rahasyākhyānamuttamam | śraddhāluḥ pātakairmuktaḥ śivaloke mahīyate

Translation

ସ୍କନ୍ଦ କହିଲେ—ଏହି ଉତ୍ତମ ରହସ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟାନକୁ ନିଜେ ପଢ଼ି ଏବଂ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ପଢ଼ାଇ, ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଳୁ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ପାପମୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ଶିବଲୋକରେ ସମ୍ମାନିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पठित्वा: having read/recited
• पठित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पाठयित्वा: having caused (others) to read/teach
• पाठयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पठ् (धातु) → पाठय (णिच् causative)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• रहस्य-आख्यानम्: the secret narration/teaching
• रहस्य-आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रहस्यस्य आख्यानम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (आख्यानस्य)

• श्रद्धालुः: a faithful person
• श्रद्धालुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धालु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पातकैः: from sins (lit. by sins)
• पातकैः: Karana (Instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि-भाव (freed)

• शिव-लोके: in Śiva’s world
• शिव-लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवस्य लोकः)

• महीयते: is honored/glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे-प्रयोग (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as rahasya-ākhyāna subject)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the immediate audience of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse (sages/seekers implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda as teacher seated before attentive sages, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; a second group in the background reads aloud to others, symbolizing ‘paṭhitvā pāṭhayitvā’; above, a vision of Śiva-loka as reward.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śiva
• Śivaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful study and propagation of sacred teaching purify sin and lead to honor in Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; the verse emphasizes scriptural merit rather than naming a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha and pāṭhana—reciting/reading and teaching others (scriptural transmission as a meritorious act).