Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

नान्यत्पश्यामि जंतूनां मुक्त्वा वाराणसीं पुरीम् । सर्वपापप्रशमनीं प्रायश्चित्तं कलौ युगे

Transliteration

nānyatpaśyāmi jaṃtūnāṃ muktvā vārāṇasīṃ purīm | sarvapāpapraśamanīṃ prāyaścittaṃ kalau yuge

Translation

我不见众生别有他方之良药，唯除婆罗那西之城；彼能息灭一切罪业，于迦梨时代即是忏悔赎罪（prāyaścitta）本身。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 1st person, singular, parasmaipada)

• जन्तूनाम्: of beings/creatures
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• मुक्त्वा: except (leaving aside)
• मुक्त्वा: Apadana (Exclusion/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive) विशेषार्थे—वर्जने (excepting/leaving aside)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाराणसीम् इति विशेष्य (Feminine, Accusative, Singular; apposition)

• सर्वपापप्रशमनीम्: that which pacifies all sins
• सर्वपापप्रशमनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशमनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रशमनी) (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास-सम्भव (प्रायः+चित्त) परन्तु रूढिशब्द (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• युगे: in the age/epoch
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; कलौ इति विशेषणार्थे सह (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Vārāṇasī as a compassionate goddess-like city, calming the dark smoke of sins in Kali-yuga; pilgrims arrive burdened and leave luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī
• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali Yuga, Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is upheld as an extraordinary refuge where sins are calmed and expiation is made accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), presented as uniquely powerful for purification in Kali Yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; the verse frames residing in/approaching Vārāṇasī itself as a potent prāyaścitta.