Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

विशाल सालमादाय कुर्वन्किल किलारवम् । कश्चित्तमभितो याति कालो दंडधरो यथा

Transliteration

viśāla sālamādāya kurvankila kilāravam | kaścittamabhito yāti kālo daṃḍadharo yathā

Translation

ممسكًا بشجرة شالا ضخمة ومطلقًا صرخة قاسية مدوية، طاف شخص ما حوله، مثل الزمن (الموت) نفسه حاملاً عصا.

Word by Word

• विशालम्: huge, vast
• विशालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘सालम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• सालम्: a sal tree (trunk/wood)
• सालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — ‘आदाय’ = having taken

• कुर्वन्: doing, making
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किल: indeed, as it were
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• किलारवम्: a ‘kila’ cry/noise
• किलारवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल + आरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (किलस्य आरवः)

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभितः: around, on all sides
• अभितः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गार्थक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition)

• याति: goes, moves
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कालः: Time; Death
• कालः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दण्डधरः: staff-bearer
• दण्डधरः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दण्डं धरति इति/दण्डस्य धरः)

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमानसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearsome figure circles a steadfast person, brandishing a massive śāla trunk like a staff; dust and shadows swirl as if Time itself patrols the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Death/Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In sacred Kāśī, fearsome visions may arise, but they are tests—steadfastness and inner dharma overcome the terror of ‘Death-like’ appearances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader sacred field of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where spiritual trials highlight the city’s purifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it depicts a fear-inducing apparition as part of a larger kāśī-māhātmya narrative.