Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

ब्रह्महा योऽभिगच्छेद्वै दैवाद्वाराणसीं पुरीम् । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्याद्ब्रह्महत्या निवर्तते

Transliteration

brahmahā yo'bhigacchedvai daivādvārāṇasīṃ purīm | tasya kṣetrasya māhātmyādbrahmahatyā nivartate

Translation

แม้ผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์ หากด้วยบุญวาสนาหรือชะตานำพามาถึงนครศักดิ์สิทธิ์พาราณสี ด้วยมหิมาแห่งเขตศักดิ์สิทธิ์นั้น บาปพรหมหัตยาก็ถูกขจัดไป

Word by Word

• ब्रह्महा: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (agent-noun)

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

• अभिगच्छेत्: should go to / approach
• अभिगच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• दैवात्: by fate; due to destiny
• दैवात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (cause)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाराणसीम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field (holy region)
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• माहात्म्यात्: because of the greatness
• माहात्म्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because of)

• ब्रह्महत्या: Brahmin-slaying sin (brahmahatyā)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानीया (subject of passive/intransitive)

• निवर्तते: ceases; is removed
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta / Kāśī-kṣetra (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful brahmahā approaches the ghāṭs of Kāśī at dawn; the city’s spires and smoke of lamps rise; Viśveśvara’s presence is felt as a dark-blue liṅga radiating calm; the ‘sin’ personified retreats backward from the kṣetra boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Avimukta-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s kṣetra-māhātmya is portrayed as so potent that even grave sin can be nullified upon coming there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arrival/approach to Vārāṇasī is emphasized as the turning point; no separate rite is specified in this verse.