Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

शिवनामस्मरणतो मदीयमपि पातकम् । मंदीभूतं ततस्तेन प्रवेशं लब्धवानहम्

Transliteration

śivanāmasmaraṇato madīyamapi pātakam | maṃdībhūtaṃ tatastena praveśaṃ labdhavānaham

Translation

ଶିବନାମ ସ୍ମରଣରେ ମୋର ନିଜ ପାପ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ଷୀଣ ହୋଇଗଲା; ଏହି କାରଣରୁ ମୁଁ (ତାହା ସହ) ପ୍ରବେଶ ଲାଭ କଲି।

Word by Word

• शिवनाम: of Śiva's name
• शिवनाम: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + नामन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समास: शिवस्य नाम (genitive tatpurusha)

• स्मरणतः: from remembrance
• स्मरणतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative singular; from/through remembrance)

• मदीयम्: my
• मदीयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc singular; my)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; even/also)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular; sin)

• मन्दीभूतम्: weakened, diminished
• मन्दीभूतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दी-भूत (कृदन्त; √भू)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण; मन्दी (अव्यय/भाव) + भूत (become weakened)

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Discourse/Sequence (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तस्मात्-अर्थे (indeclinable; then/thereupon/from that)

• तेन: by that, thereby
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrumental singular; by that/thereby)

• प्रवेशम्: entry, access
• प्रवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• लब्धवान्: obtained
• लब्धवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्तवतुँ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि भूतार्थ (periphrastic perfect sense; having obtained)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Preta (departed spirit) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The attacker’s face softens; dark smoke-like sin dissipates from his body; the mendicant leads him through a threshold—an archway toward a shrine/ghat—symbolizing ‘entry’ gained by nāma-smaraṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-nāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of Śiva’s Name weakens the force of sin and opens a path otherwise barred—illustrating nāma’s saving grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting is implicit; the verse emphasizes the salvific power of Śiva-nāma within Kāśī’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-smaraṇa (remembering/chanting Śiva’s Name) is the implied spiritual practice.