Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

यच्छ्रुत्वापि नरो घोरे संसाराब्धौ न मज्जति । कदंबशिखरो नाम विंध्यपादो महानिह

Transliteration

yacchrutvāpi naro ghore saṃsārābdhau na majjati | kadaṃbaśikharo nāma viṃdhyapādo mahāniha

Translation

من يسمع هذا لا يغرق في محيط السَّمْسارا الرهيب. وكان هنا عظيم يُدعى كَدَمْبَشِخَرَا، وهو القوي فيمْدْهْيَابَادَا.

Word by Word

• yat: which/that (teaching/story)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyā (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying saṃsārābdhau)

• saṃsāra-abdhau: in the ocean of worldly existence
• saṃsāra-abdhau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + abdhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (saṃsārasya abdhiḥ)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• majjati: sinks, is submerged
• majjati: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √majj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kadaṃba-śikharaḥ: (one) having the crest/top of a kadamba (tree)
• kadaṃba-śikharaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadaṃba (प्रातिपदिक) + śikhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kadaṃbasya śikharaḥ)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक-निपात (particle: by name)

• viṃdhya-pādaḥ: Vindhyapāda (name)
• viṃdhya-pādaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃdhya (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (viṃdhyasya pādaḥ)

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying viṃdhya-pādaḥ)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (here)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kadaṃbaśikhara (within Viṃdhyapāda)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping view of a forested Vindhya mountain named Kadaṃbaśikhara; a sage narrates that hearing this account saves one from the ocean of saṃsāra, with symbolic waves below and the mountain as refuge above.

Characters & Entities

• Kadaṃbaśikhara
• Viṃdhyapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to Kāśī’s māhātmya and its legends is itself salvific, preventing spiritual ‘drowning’ in saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting continues implicitly; this verse mainly transitions into a local royal legend tied to that sacred context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—listening to the sacred account with faith.