Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

यथा तमो न तिष्ठेत संनिधावंशुमालिनः । तथा न भवभक्तस्य पापं तस्य व्रजेत्क्षयम्

Transliteration

yathā tamo na tiṣṭheta saṃnidhāvaṃśumālinaḥ | tathā na bhavabhaktasya pāpaṃ tasya vrajetkṣayam

Translation

جیسے سورج کی حضوری میں اندھیرا ٹھہر نہیں سکتا، ویسے ہی بھَو کے بھکت کا گناہ قائم نہیں رہتا؛ وہ تیزی سے فنا کی طرف چلا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative: 'just as')

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: does not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तिष्ठेत्: would remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संनिधौ: in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• अंशुमालिनः: of the sun (the ray-garlanded one)
• अंशुमालिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: अंशवः माला यस्य (the sun)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Upameya-correlative (तथाशब्द)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तद्वत्-अर्थे अव्यय (correlative: 'so, likewise')

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

• भवभक्तस्य: of the devotee of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवभक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः भव-भक्त (तत्पुरुष: 'devotee of Bhava/Śiva')

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षयम्: to destruction, to end
• क्षयम्: Gati (Goal/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Acc. sg.; गत्यर्थे द्वितीया)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sunburst behind Śiva’s emblem; darkness-like forms retreat from a devotee standing near a liṅga on a Kāśī ghāṭa, symbolizing sin fleeing Bhava-bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Bhava)
• Sun (aṃśumālin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Śiva (Bhava) is intrinsically purifying; sin is incompatible with sustained proximity to divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context supports Kāśī’s fame as a realm of Śiva where purification is natural to sincere bhakti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it emphasizes ongoing bhakti (devotional orientation) as the purifier.