Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

माभूच्छापो मुनेः काश्यां निर्वाणप्रतिबंधकः । इत्यनुक्रोशतो देवस्तस्य प्रत्यक्षतां गतः

Transliteration

mābhūcchāpo muneḥ kāśyāṃ nirvāṇapratibaṃdhakaḥ | ityanukrośato devastasya pratyakṣatāṃ gataḥ

Translation

“କାଶୀରେ ମୁନିଙ୍କ ଶାପ ନିର୍ବାଣରେ ବାଧା ନ ହେଉ”—ଏହି କରୁଣାରୁ ଦେବ ତାଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• मा: may not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (prohibitive particle)

• अभूत्: be (happen)
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; मा-योगे निषेधार्थः

• शापः: curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• निर्वाण-प्रतिबन्धकः: an obstacle to liberation
• निर्वाण-प्रतिबन्धकः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिबन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शापः); समासः—तत्पुरुष (निर्वाणस्य प्रतिबन्धकः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अनुक्रोशतः: out of compassion
• अनुक्रोशतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुक्रोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'out of compassion'

• देवः: the Lord (god)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षताम्: visibility, direct presence
• प्रत्यक्षताम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक्षता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गतः: went, attained
• गतः: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda (narration; the Lord’s intent expressed)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary interlocutors of Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, moved by compassion, manifests before the sage with the resolve that no curse should obstruct liberation in Kāśī; the atmosphere shifts from threat to serene assurance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Śiva (Deva)
• Sage (muni)
• Nirvāṇa (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s mokṣa-bestowing power is divinely protected; compassion overrides wrath to preserve liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, explicitly praised as a place where liberation must not be impeded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse states a theological safeguard: Kāśī’s nirvāṇa-path is preserved.