Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

धर्माख्यानमिदं शृण्वन्नपि दूरस्थितः सुधीः । सर्वपापर्विनिर्मुक्तो गंतांते शिवमंदिरम्

Transliteration

dharmākhyānamidaṃ śṛṇvannapi dūrasthitaḥ sudhīḥ | sarvapāparvinirmukto gaṃtāṃte śivamaṃdiram

Translation

แม้อยู่ไกล ผู้มีปัญญาผู้สดับธรรมกถาอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ ย่อมหลุดพ้นจากบาปทั้งปวง และเมื่อสิ้นชีพย่อมไปสู่เทวสถาน/แดนสถิตแห่งพระศิวะ

Word by Word

• धर्माख्यानम्: the narrative of dharma
• धर्माख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक); धर्मस्य आख्यानम्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शृण्वन्: hearing
• शृण्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → शृण्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• दूरस्थितः: situated far away
• दूरस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त); दूरे स्थितः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (locative determinative) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• सुधीः: a wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + धी (प्रातिपदिक); सुष्ठु धीः यस्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (one who has good intellect)

• सर्वपापः: all sin(s)
• सर्वपापः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (all-sin = all sins collectively)

• विनिर्मुक्तः: fully released
• विनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + मुच् (धातु) → विनिर्मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• गन्ता: goer / one who will go
• गन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गन्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (your)

• शिवमन्दिरम्: Śiva’s temple
• शिवमन्दिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya mandiram)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (kathā) / Śiva-mandira (goal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja) in the chapter’s frame (explicitly addressed in v.31.79)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distant devotee (not in Kāśī) listens to the Dharmeśvara narrative; above, a visionary scene opens: a radiant Śiva-temple/abode with Kailāsa-like splendor, indicating the devotee’s final journey.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāśī (implied)
• Dharma-ākhyāna (Dharmeśvara context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening transcends distance; devotion through śravaṇa yields purification and a Śaiva end-state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmeśvara-centered dharmākhyāna within Kāśī’s sacred geography, linked to attaining Śiva’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing (śravaṇa) the narrative—even without physical proximity—is presented as an efficacious religious act.