Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

अद्यापि क्षत्रवधजं पापं तत्र प्रणश्यति । एकेन स्नानमात्रेण ज्ञानाज्ञानकृतेन च

Transliteration

adyāpi kṣatravadhajaṃ pāpaṃ tatra praṇaśyati | ekena snānamātreṇa jñānājñānakṛtena ca

Translation

即使在今日，于彼处，由杀害刹帝利所生之罪亦得灭除——唯以一次沐浴而已，无论出于知或不知。

Word by Word

• adya: today/now
• adya: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today/now)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• kṣatra-vadha-jam: born from the kṣatriya-slaying
• kṣatra-vadha-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: "क्षत्रवधात् जातम्")

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• praṇaśyati: perishes/is destroyed
• praṇaśyati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √naś (नश्)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ekena: by one/with a single
• ekena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg); विशेषणम्

• snāna-mātreṇa: by mere bathing
• snāna-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg); तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: "स्नानमेव मात्रम्")

• jñāna-ajñāna-kṛtena: done knowingly or unknowingly
• jñāna-ajñāna-kṛtena: Karana (Instrument/Qualifier/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त; √kṛ (कृ) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: "ज्ञानं च अज्ञानं च" + कृत) = "done knowingly or unknowingly"

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paraśurāma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single, decisive bath at the ghat: dark smoke-like ‘pāpa’ dissolves into the water’s light; two figures—one devout, one accidental traveler—both touched by the same purifying radiance, while Śiva’s presence is suggested by a luminous liṅga silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Paraśurāma Tīrtha (contextual)
• Kṣatravadhaja pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is depicted as intrinsically purifying—effective even without full ritual awareness, underscoring grace in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same place referenced in the prior verse—Paraśurāma’s tīrtha (contextually).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A single snāna (bath) is said to suffice for purification, whether done intentionally or unintentionally.