Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अपि पातकिनो ये च कालेन निधनं गताः । ते हि स्वर्गादिहागत्य काश्यां मोक्षमवाप्नुयुः

Transliteration

api pātakino ye ca kālena nidhanaṃ gatāḥ | te hi svargādihāgatya kāśyāṃ mokṣamavāpnuyuḥ

Translation

แม้ผู้มีบาปซึ่งถึงความตายตามกาล ครั้นกลับจากสวรรค์แล้วมาถึงที่นี่ ก็ยังอาจบรรลุโมกษะ ณ กาศีได้

Word by Word

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

• पातकिनः: sinners
• पातकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• निधनम्: death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• गताः: gone, having met (death)
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विधेय (predicate)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; अन्वादेश (anaphoric pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्वर्गात्: from heaven
• स्वर्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya (Gerund/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + त्यप् (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयुः: would attain
• अवाप्नुयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra/nṛpa) addressed in nearby verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau of Kāśī as a luminous mokṣa-field: pilgrims and even burdened sinners arriving at the ghāṭs, the city glowing with Śiva’s presence, suggesting release from bonds and ascent beyond heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• svarga (heaven)
• mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is proclaimed uniquely liberating: its grace can carry beings beyond ordinary karmic limitations toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is directly glorified as the place where mokṣa is attained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the emphasis is on the salvific power of residing/arriving in Kāśī.