Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नैरृते दंढपाणस्तु विराधेशं प्रयत्नतः । नत्वा सर्वापराधेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

nairṛte daṃḍhapāṇastu virādheśaṃ prayatnataḥ | natvā sarvāparādhebhyo mucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

جنوب مغرب میں دَندپانی، وِرادھیش کو پوری کوشش اور بھکتی سے سجدۂ تعظیم کرے تو آدمی ہر طرح کے گناہوں سے چھوٹ جاتا ہے؛ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔

Word by Word

• नैरृते: in the south-west (Nairṛta) direction
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिशि/देशे (locative: in the Nairṛta quarter)

• दण्डपाणः: Daṇḍapāṇi (staff-in-hand, a deity/attendant)
• दण्डपाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• विराधेशम्: Virādheśa (the Lord)
• विराधेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराध-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• नत्वा: having bowed (saluted)
• नत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having bowed)

• सर्वापराधेभ्यः: from all offences
• सर्वापराधेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-अपराध (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अपराध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन; अपादान (ablative: from)

• मुच्यते: is freed/released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Virādheśa (Nairṛta-dik)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the south-west quarter of Kāśī, Daṇḍapāṇi stands as a stern guardian figure with staff, while a devotee bows intensely before the Virādheśa liṅga, the mood shifting from fear to relief.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Virādheśa
• South-west (Nairṛta) direction

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble surrender (namaskāra) joined with earnest effort becomes a powerful purificatory act within Kāśī’s sacred landscape.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Virādheśa in Kāśī, referenced along with the Nairṛta (south-west) directional placement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nati/namaskāra (bowing) and devoted approach (prayatna) to Virādheśa for release from all aparādhas.