Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

महाबलमवाप्नोति निवार्णनगरं व्रजेत् । ऋणमोचनतः प्राच्यां प्रभासात्क्षेत्रसत्तमात्

Transliteration

mahābalamavāpnoti nivārṇanagaraṃ vrajet | ṛṇamocanataḥ prācyāṃ prabhāsātkṣetrasattamāt

Translation

由摩诃婆罗得大力，当往名为尼婆尔那（Nivārṇa）之城。（此功德据说胜过）东方之 ऋणमोचन（Ṛṇamocana，释债圣地），乃至胜过普罗婆娑（Prabhāsa）这最胜圣域。

Word by Word

• महाबलम्: Mahābala (the merit/benefit or the sacred power)
• महाबलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मधारयः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular); फल-रूपेण (as attainment)

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निवार्ण-नगरम्: to Nivārṇa city
• निवार्ण-नगरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवार्ण + नगर (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘निवार्णस्य नगरम्’ (place-name)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विधिः/आदेशः (injunction)

• ऋणमोचनतः: from (the place called) Ṛṇamocana
• ऋणमोचनतः: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋणमोचन (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + तसिल्
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from/at Ṛṇamocana’; ‘ऋणस्य मोचनम्’

• प्राच्याम्: in the east
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular); दिक्-वाचक (in the east)

• प्रभासात्: from Prabhāsa
• प्रभासात्: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); स्थान-निर्देशः

• क्षेत्र-सत्तमात्: from the best of sacred fields (holy places)
• क्षेत्र-सत्तमात्: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular); ‘क्षेत्राणां सत्तमः’ = best of holy places

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nivārṇa-nagara (to be visited); comparative: Ṛṇamocana (east), Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, newly blessed at Mahābala, sets out with staff and waterpot toward a gate labeled ‘Nivārṇa’; in the background, map-like vignettes show ‘Ṛṇamocana (East)’ and ‘Prabhāsa’ as distant sacred horizons, subtly dimmed to indicate being surpassed.

Characters & Entities

• Mahābala (fruit / liṅga context)
• Nivārṇa-nagara
• Ṛṇamocana
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text frames pilgrimage as a connected sacred itinerary, where Kāśī’s sites are ranked against renowned tīrthas to highlight their superior fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nivārṇa-nagara is pointed to next, with comparative mention of Ṛṇamocana and Prabhāsa to magnify the fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescriptive movement/sequence is implied: after gaining Mahābala’s fruit, one ‘should go’ (vrajet) onward to Nivārṇa-nagara.