Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

बहुपातकयुक्तोपि त्यक्तधर्मपथोपि वा । न चित्रगुप्तलेख्यः स्याच्चित्रघंटार्चको नरः

Transliteration

bahupātakayuktopi tyaktadharmapathopi vā | na citraguptalekhyaḥ syāccitraghaṃṭārcako naraḥ

Translation

แม้บุรุษจะมีบาปมากมายหรือหลงออกจากหนทางธรรมะก็ตาม แต่ผู้ที่บูชาเทวีจิตรฆัณฏา (Citraghaṇṭā) ด้วยศรัทธา ย่อมไม่ถูกจิตรคุปตะผู้จดบัญชีของยมบันทึกไว้

Word by Word

• बहु-पातक-युक्तः: endowed with many sins
• बहु-पातक-युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (क्त) ‘युक्त’ = endowed/connected; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बहूनि पातकानि यस्य सः/तेन युक्तः)

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

• त्यक्त-धर्म-पथः: one who has abandoned the path of dharma
• त्यक्त-धर्म-पथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त; √त्यज् (धातु)) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (क्त) ‘त्यक्त’ = abandoned; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य पथः; तं त्यक्तः)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle) = or

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• चित्रगुप्त-लेख्यः: recordable by Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्त-लेख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्रगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + लेख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चित्रगुप्तस्य लेख्यः = to be written/recorded by Citragupta)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चित्रघण्टा-अर्चकः: a worshipper of Citraghaṇṭā
• चित्रघण्टा-अर्चकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रघण्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चक (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चित्रघण्टायाः अर्चकः = worshipper of Citraghaṇṭā)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citraghaṇṭā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī stands before the Devī Citraghaṇṭā; behind, Citragupta’s ledger closes and Yama’s attendants withdraw, signifying exemption from record.

Characters & Entities

• Citraghaṇṭā
• Citragupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship in Kāśī—specifically to Citraghaṇṭā—can override even heavy sin and protects one from punitive accounting by Yama’s scribe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), through the local worship of the deity Citraghaṇṭā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (formal worship) of Citraghaṇṭā is prescribed as the saving act.