Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वापीमां स्तुतिं मर्त्यः श्रद्धया परया मुदा । पातकैर्मुच्यते सद्यो महत्पुण्यमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

śrutvāpīmāṃ stutiṃ martyaḥ śraddhayā parayā mudā | pātakairmucyate sadyo mahatpuṇyamavāpnuyāt

Translation

ਇਸ ਸਤੁਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਪਰਮ ਸ਼ਰਧਾ ਅਤੇ ਆਨੰਦ ਨਾਲ ਕੇਵਲ ਸੁਣ ਲੈਣ ਨਾਲ ਵੀ ਮਰਤਭਾਵੀ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਤੁਰੰਤ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਮਹਾਨ ਪੁੰਨ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (particle)

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; इदम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; stutim इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• stutim: hymn, praise
• stutim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• martyaḥ: a mortal
• martyaḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/भाव (with faith)

• parayā: supreme, intense
• parayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; śraddhayā इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mudā: with joy
• mudā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mudā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; manner

• pātakaiḥ: from sins
• pātakaiḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रायः), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; अपादानार्थे (ablatival sense with passive: from sins)

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; puṇyam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• avāpnuyāt: would obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (अव+आप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kshetra (implicit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathered assembly on a Kāśī ghat listening to a reciter chanting the Dhruva-stuti; as the sound waves spread, dark smoke-like ‘pāpa’ dissolves into light around listeners’ hearts.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruvastuti
• Śraddhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) with faith is itself a purifying spiritual act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The promise is framed within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where hearing sacred narratives/hymns is treated as a potent Kāśī-practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listen to the hymn with supreme faith and joy (śraddhā and mudā).