Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण पापानां जायते क्षयः । वीरभद्रो महाप्रीतो देवदेवस्य शूलिनः

Transliteration

tasya darśanamātreṇa pāpānāṃ jāyate kṣayaḥ | vīrabhadro mahāprīto devadevasya śūlinaḥ

Translation

唯以一见，诸罪便得消灭。毗罗跋陀罗(Vīrabhadra)大为欢喜于诸天之天、持三叉戟之主——修林(Śūlin)。

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• दर्शनमात्रेण: by mere seeing
• दर्शनमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दर्शनस्य मात्रम्)

• पापानाम्: of sins
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षयः: destruction/cessation
• क्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाप्रीतः: greatly pleased
• महाप्रीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाप्रीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् प्रीतः)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• शूलिनः: of the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vīrabhadreśvara (within Avimukta, Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim beholds the Vīrabhadreśvara presence in Kāśī; Vīrabhadra stands as Śiva’s fierce guardian, with Śiva as the trident-bearing Lord in the background, radiating kṣetra-protection and sin-dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Śiva (Śūlin, Devadeva)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (sacred seeing) of Kāśī’s liṅgas is elevated as a direct purifier, rooted in Śiva-bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the liṅga-māhātmya stream of Adhyāya 5 in Kāśī (connected with Vīrabhadra’s sphere).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana is highlighted as sufficient for merit; no additional rite is specified.