Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

बालत्वाद्भीषितो भूतैस्तपस्त्यक्ष्यत्यसौ ध्रुवम् । इति निश्चित्य भूतालिं प्रेषयामास वासवः

Transliteration

bālatvādbhīṣito bhūtaistapastyakṣyatyasau dhruvam | iti niścitya bhūtāliṃ preṣayāmāsa vāsavaḥ

Translation

„Weil er noch ein Kind ist, wird er, von diesen Bhūtas erschreckt, gewiss seine Askese (tapas) aufgeben.“ So entschlossen sandte Vāsava (Indra) eine Schar von Bhūtas gegen ihn aus.

Word by Word

• बालत्वात्: from/owing to childhood
• बालत्वात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• भीषितः: frightened
• भीषितः: Karta (Subject, adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषित (कृदन्त; √भीष्/भी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे; विशेषणम्

• भूतैः: by the spirits/beings
• भूतैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent causing fear)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; करणम्

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• त्यक्ष्यति: will abandon
• त्यक्ष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); निश्चयार्थे

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• निश्चित्य: having ascertained/decided
• निश्चित्य: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित्य (कृदन्त; √निश्+√चि (धातु) + क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• भूतालिम्: the troop of spirits
• भूतालिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतानाम् आलिः = group of spirits)

• प्रेषयामास: sent/dispatched
• प्रेषयामास: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र √इष्/प्रेष् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• वासवः: Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; इन्द्रनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, anxious about a child-ascetic’s rising tapas, dispatches a swirling troop of bhūtas toward the solitary boy absorbed in austerity, with Kāśī’s sacred ambience in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsava (Indra)
• Bhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is tested by fear and obstruction; steadfastness is the measure of spiritual resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse itself focuses on a trial of austerity rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the theme is the protection and perseverance of tapas (austerity).