Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्वाचयेत्पश्चान्निष्पापोहमिति ब्रुवन् । एवं कुर्वन्नरः प्राज्ञो निरेना जायते क्षणात्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānvācayetpaścānniṣpāpohamiti bruvan | evaṃ kurvannaraḥ prājño nirenā jāyate kṣaṇāt

Translation

ତାପରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ପାଠ/ଆଶୀର୍ବାଦ କରାଇ ‘ମୁଁ ନିଷ୍ପାପ’ ବୋଲି କହିବା ଉଚିତ। ଏଭଳି କରୁଥିବା ପ୍ରାଜ୍ଞ ପୁରୁଷ କ୍ଷଣମାତ୍ରେ ଋଣବନ୍ଧନରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• वाचयेत्: should cause to recite / should have (them) recite
• वाचयेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाचय् (धातु, णिच्; वच्-प्रेरणार्थक)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Desha-Kala (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• निष्पापः: sinless
• निष्पापः: Karta (Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अहम् इत्यस्य) — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; adjective of ‘aham’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative (1st), Singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-बोधक अव्यय (quotative)

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Agent-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कुर्वन्: doing (so)
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• प्राज्ञः: wise
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः) — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; adjective of ‘naraḥ’

• निरेणाः: free from debt/obligation
• निरेणाः: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरेण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• जायते: becomes/is born as
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• क्षणात्: in an instant / immediately
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Source/Time-from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative (5th), Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, having finished worship, sits respectfully as brāhmaṇas recite blessings; the pilgrim utters a solemn declaration of being free from sin, symbolically cutting the bonds of debt and obligation.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Ṛṇa (debt/obligation, implied by nirenā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Expiation is affirmed through dharmic community rites: honoring Brāhmaṇas and sacred recitation seals the pilgrim’s purification and release from obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to the broader Kāśī prāyaścitta sequence rather than a single named spot; it follows the tīrtha-bathing and liṅga-worship context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arrange/seek Brāhmaṇas’ recitation (vācana), and ritually affirm sinlessness; this is presented as completing the expiatory process.