Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

वाराणसी समरसीकरणादृतेपि योगादयोगिजनतां जनतापहंत्री । तत्तारकं श्रवणगोचरतां नयंती तद्बह्मदर्शयति येन पुनर्भवो न

Transliteration

vārāṇasī samarasīkaraṇādṛtepi yogādayogijanatāṃ janatāpahaṃtrī | tattārakaṃ śravaṇagocaratāṃ nayaṃtī tadbahmadarśayati yena punarbhavo na

Translation

వారాణసీ యోగి అయినా అయోగి అయినా ప్రజల తాపాలను హరిస్తుంది; బలవంతపు ‘సమీకరణం’ లేకుండానే. అది తారక తత్త్వాన్ని శ్రవణానికి అందుబాటులోకి తెచ్చి, పునర్జన్మ లేని బ్రహ్మదర్శనాన్ని కలిగిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• vārāṇasī: Vārāṇasī
• vārāṇasī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samarasī-karaṇāt: from making (all) of one essence
• samarasī-karaṇāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samarasī (प्रातिपदिक) + karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (समरसीकरणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वपादान (without/except)

• ṛte: without
• ṛte: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ṛte (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (वर्जनार्थक/preposition-like: without)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even)

• yogāt: by yoga
• yogāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (by/through)

• ayogi-janatām: the multitude of non-yogins
• ayogi-janatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-yogin (प्रातिपदिक) + janatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अयोगिजनता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• janatā-apahaṃtrī: remover of people’s (sins/afflictions)
• janatā-apahaṃtrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janatā (प्रातिपदिक) + apa-hṛ (धातु) + tṛ (तृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्तरि); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (vārāṇasī इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• tat-tārakam: that liberating (mantra/means)
• tat-tārakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (तत् तारणक्षमम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śravaṇa-gocaratām: audibility/being within hearing
• śravaṇa-gocaratām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + gocara (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रवणगोचरता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• nayantī: leading (it)
• nayantī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nī (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (vārāṇasī इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• tat-brahma: that Brahman
• tat-brahma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• darśayati: shows/reveals
• darśayati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: makes see/shows)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• punar-bhavaḥ: rebirth
• punar-bhavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (पुनर्भवः = पुनः भवः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Kāśī’s lanes and ghāṭas, yogins and ordinary townsfolk alike pause as a ‘tāraka’ teaching is recited; sound-waves are visualized as light entering ears, culminating in a vision of formless Brahman beyond the city skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Tāraka
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī universalizes liberation: it grants access to the saving ‘Tāraka’ and Brahman-realization beyond rebirth, regardless of yogic attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), as the place associated with the Tāraka principle and Brahman-vision.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing (śravaṇa) is implied as the mode by which the Tāraka becomes accessible; no detailed rite is specified.