Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

विपाशयंति ये पुण्या दुर्वृतैः कंठपाशितान् । ते पाशपाणे लोकेस्मिन्निवसंत्यकुतोभयाः

Transliteration

vipāśayaṃti ye puṇyā durvṛtaiḥ kaṃṭhapāśitān | te pāśapāṇe lokesminnivasaṃtyakutobhayāḥ

Translation

தீயோர் கழுத்தில் இறுக்கிய பாசத்தைத் தளர்த்தி கட்டுண்டவர்களை விடுவிக்கும் புண்ணியர்கள், பாசபாணியின் இவ்வுலகில் எவ்வித அச்சமுமின்றி வாழ்வர்.

Word by Word

• विपाशयन्ति: release/unbind
• विपाशयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-पाś (धातु) / पाś् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (Causative: ‘cause to be unbound/release’)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• पुण्याः: virtuous/meritorious
• पुण्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विशेषण (ये इति)

• दुर्वृतैः: by evil-doers / by wicked conduct
• दुर्वृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—दुर् + वृत (कर्मधारयः: ‘दुष्टं वृतम्/आचरणम्’)

• कण्ठपाशितान्: those bound by a noose at the neck
• कण्ठपाशितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + क्त (कृत्) → पाशित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कण्ठपाश (तत्पुरुषः) + पाशित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘पाशेन बद्ध’)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• पाशपाणे: in the realm of Yama (the noose-in-hand)
• पाशपाणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशपाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—पाशः पाणौ यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहिः); ‘पाशपाणि’ = यम

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• निवसन्ति: dwell/live
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अकुतोभयाः: having no fear from anywhere
• अकुतोभयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकुतोभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—कुतः (अव्यय) + भय (अव्ययीभावः: ‘कुतो न भयम्’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ethical phala-śruti)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bound person with a tightened rope at the neck is released by a righteous rescuer; in the background, a stern yet just Pāśapāṇi figure symbolizes karmic order and the promised realm.

Characters & Entities

• Pāśapāṇi
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To save others from deadly harm and bondage is a high dharma that grants the rescuer spiritual fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is framed within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma-mahātmyam; it emphasizes karmic fruit more than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Active rescue—releasing those bound by wrongdoers—presented as an exalted form of abhaya-dāna.