Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 170

Devanagari script

इदानीं दिश मे तात कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमम् । उपायं त्वमुपायज्ञ येन निर्वृतिमाप्नुयाम्

Transliteration

idānīṃ diśa me tāta karmanirmūlanakṣamam | upāyaṃ tvamupāyajña yena nirvṛtimāpnuyām

Translation

اب، اے پیارے پتا، مجھے ایسا وسیلہ بتائیے جو کرم کو جڑ سے اُکھاڑ دے۔ آپ تدبیروں کے جاننے والے ہیں—جس سے میں نروِرتی، سکون اور مکتی پا سکوں۔

Word by Word

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: now)

• दिश: tell/point out
• दिश: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तात: O dear father/sir
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमम्: capable of uprooting karma
• कर्मनिर्मूलनक्षमम्: Karma (Object qualifier: upāyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मन् + निर्मूलन + क्षम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: कर्मणां निर्मूलनं (uprooting of actions) तस्मिन् क्षमम् (capable)

• उपायम्: a means
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपायज्ञ: O knower of means
• उपायज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: उपायान् जानाति इति (knower of means)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• निर्वृतिम्: peace/bliss
• निर्वृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नुयाम्: I may attain
• आप्नुयाम्: Kriya (Desired action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker (possibly the king) kneels before an elder ‘father-like’ guru, hands folded, asking for the uprooting means; background: quiet ghat at dawn, a small Śiva shrine, and the Gaṅgā flowing—suggesting inner stillness and the quest for release.

Characters & Entities

• Karma
• Nirvṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation requires an effective upāya that cuts karma at the root, sought through humble inquiry and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered discourse, though it is framed as a mokṣa-oriented request rather than explicit site praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; it asks for a liberating method (upāya), often fulfilled in context by teachings on japa, vrata, tīrtha, or devotion.