Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

येषां नामग्रहेणापि कलिकल्मष संक्षयः । अमृतेशस्तारकेशो ज्ञानेशः करुणेश्वरः

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ nāmagraheṇāpi kalikalmaṣa saṃkṣayaḥ | amṛteśastārakeśo jñāneśaḥ karuṇeśvaraḥ

Translation

ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਕੇਵਲ ਉਚਾਰਣ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਕਲਿਯੁਗ ਦੇ ਪਾਪ-ਕਲੰਕ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ—ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤੇਸ਼, ਤਾਰਕੇਸ਼, ਗਿਆਨੇਸ਼ ਅਤੇ ਕਰੁਣੇਸ਼ਵਰ।

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सामान्यरूप (pronominal common form)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ग्रहणेन: by taking/uttering (the name)
• ग्रहणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक; √ग्रह् (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (even/also)

• कलि-कल्मष: the impurity/sin of Kali (age)
• कलि-कल्मष: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध-भाव: ‘कलियुगस्य कल्मषम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• संक्षयः: destruction, cessation
• संक्षयः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक; √क्षि (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अमृतेशः: Lord of Amṛta (Amṛteśa)
• अमृतेशः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘अमृतस्य ईशः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तारकेशः: Tārakeśa
• तारकेशः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘तारकस्य ईशः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञानेशः: Lord of knowledge (Jñāneśa)
• ज्ञानेशः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘ज्ञानस्य ईशः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करुणेश्वरः: Lord of compassion (Karuṇeśvara)
• करुणेश्वरः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘करुणायाः ईश्वरः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānandakānana (Kāśī) – Mahāliṅga-nāma-saṅgraha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience; immediate addressee implied as a देवी/सुंदरी in the surrounding dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim softly recites the names Amṛteśa, Tārakeśa, Jñāneśa, Karuṇeśvara before small shrine-liṅgas under sacred trees in Ānandakānana; the atmosphere suggests inner cleansing and grace.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kali-yuga
• Amṛteśa
• Tārakeśa
• Jñāneśa
• Karuṇeśvara
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s names and kṣetra-liṅga names themselves are purifying, especially in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Ānandakānana and its famed mahāliṅgas are being enumerated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-grahaṇa (recitation/remembering of the liṅga names) as a purifier of Kali-doṣa.