Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

नरो ध्रुवस्य चरितं प्रसंगेन स्मरन्नपि । न पापैरभिभूयेत महत्पुण्यमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

naro dhruvasya caritaṃ prasaṃgena smarannapi | na pāpairabhibhūyeta mahatpuṇyamavāpnuyāt

Translation

即便有人只是在谈话间随缘忆念德鲁瓦（Dhruva）之行传，也不为罪业所胜；必得广大功德。

Word by Word

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• dhruvasya: of Dhruva
• dhruvasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• caritam: deed(s), story, conduct
• caritam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• prasaṃgena: by occasion/incidentally
• prasaṃgena: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• smaran: remembering
• smaran: Kriya-visheshana (Participial modifier/कृदन्त)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smarat (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; 'स्मरन्' = remembering

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-शब्दः (particle: even/also)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pāpaiḥ: by sins
• pāpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• abhibhūyeta: would be overpowered
• abhibhūyeta: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगार्थः: 'अभिभूयेत' = would be overpowered

• mahat-puṇyam: great merit
• mahat-puṇyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: 'महत् पुण्यम्'

• avāpnuyāt: would obtain
• avāpnuyāt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual; phalaśruti tone)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small group of pilgrims conversing on a ghat; as Dhruva’s story is remembered, a luminous pole star appears overhead, and dark ‘sin’ shadows recede from the speaker.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Puṇya
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred remembrance (smaraṇa) itself purifies; even casual recollection of a devotee’s story yields spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse functions as a phalaśruti within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa: remember and recount Dhruva’s story as a devotional act.