Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यन्नामाकर्णनादेव क्षीयंते पापराशयः । प्राप्यते पुण्यसंभारः काश्यां निवार्णकारणम्

Transliteration

yannāmākarṇanādeva kṣīyaṃte pāparāśayaḥ | prāpyate puṇyasaṃbhāraḥ kāśyāṃ nivārṇakāraṇam

Translation

เพียงได้ยินนามของท่าน กองบาปทั้งหลายก็สลาย; ในกาศีย่อมได้สั่งสมบุญกุศล—เป็นเหตุแห่งโมกษะ

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• आकर्णनात्: from hearing
• आकर्णनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकर्णन (प्रातिपदिक; आ+कर्ण् धातु से भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• क्षीयन्ते: perish/are diminished
• क्षीयन्ते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• पापराशयः: heaps of sins
• पापराशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + राशि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापानां राशयः)

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पुण्यसंभारः: a store of merit
• पुण्यसंभारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + संभार (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य संभारः)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• निवार्णकारणम्: the cause of (ni)vārṇa—removal/cessation (uncertain)
• निवार्णकारणम्: Karma (Predicate/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवार्ण + कारण (प्रातिपदिकानि; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (निवार्णस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva) (implied continuation into listing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) / the specific ‘it’ (liṅga/tīrtha) whose name is being introduced

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (immediate) and the Purāṇic audience (secondary)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous syllabic aura (nāma) emanates from a liṅga; dark smoke-like forms (sins) dissolve; above, a serene path opens toward light, symbolizing liberation in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Puṇya
• Pāpa
• Nirvāṇa/Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even nāma-śravaṇa (hearing the sacred name) is spiritually transformative in Kāśī, leading to purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where sacred names connected to its liṅgas/sites are said to grant pāpa-kṣaya and mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-śravaṇa (hearing/reciting sacred names) is implied as a potent practice.