Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तपसाद्य निजेनाहं प्रेतमेतमघातुरम् । मामेव शरणं प्राप्तमुद्धरिष्याम्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

tapasādya nijenāhaṃ pretametamaghāturam | māmeva śaraṇaṃ prāptamuddhariṣyāmyasaṃśayam

Translation

بتقشّفي وزهدي (التبس)، سأخلّص يقينًا هذا البريتا المعذَّب، الذي أتى إليّ وحدي ملتمسًا الملجأ—بلا ريب.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by/with austerity)

• आद्य: first/foremost
• आद्य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (qualifier)

• निजेन: by my own
• निजेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; विशेषण

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, nominative singular

• प्रेतम्: the ghost/spirit
• प्रेतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• एतम्: this
• एतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• अघातुरम्: not sick/afflicted
• अघातुरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-घातुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, accusative singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; गत्यर्थे कर्म (as goal)

• प्राप्तम्: having reached/obtained
• प्राप्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — past passive participle; विशेषण (of ‘शरणम्/प्रेतम्’ by sense: ‘having obtained/come to’)

• उद्धरिष्यामि: I will rescue
• उद्धरिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — I will lift up/rescue

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-सम्-शय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे द्वितीया (adverbial accusative); नञ्-समासार्थ (without doubt)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame typically Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate sage, radiant with tapas, vows to rescue an afflicted preta who clings to him for refuge; Kāśī’s sacred ambience implied.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and tapas-backed grace can uplift even severely afflicted beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage context points toward a Kāśī tīrtha later named Vimalodaka-saras (Vimalodaka lake/pond) within the Uttarārdha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite here; the verse emphasizes tapas and refuge as the means of rescue.