Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

सापि भूतावली भीतिंबहुभीषणभूषणा । दर्शयंती तमभितोऽद्राक्षीच्चक्रं सुदर्शनम्

Transliteration

sāpi bhūtāvalī bhītiṃbahubhīṣaṇabhūṣaṇā | darśayaṃtī tamabhito'drākṣīccakraṃ sudarśanam

Translation

Auch jene Schar von Geistern — mit vielen schreckenerregenden Zierden geschmückt — die ringsum Furcht zu verbreiten suchte, erblickte das Sudarśana‑Rad, das ihn umkreiste.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्तृ), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• भूतावली: the host/row of spirits
• भूतावली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आवली (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आवली)

• भीतिम्: fear
• भीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• बहुभीषणभूषणा: adorned with many terrifying (features)
• बहुभीषणभूषणा: Visheshana (Adjectival to भूतावली/सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + भीषण + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (बहुभीषणं भूषणं यस्याः/या) — ‘having many terrifying ornaments/appearances’

• दर्शयन्ती: showing
• दर्शयन्ती: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘showing’

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

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

• अद्राक्षीत्: she saw
• अद्राक्षीत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• चक्रम्: discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• सुदर्शनम्: beautiful to behold; Sudarśana
• सुदर्शनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to चक्रम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-दर्शनम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of Sudarśana—bright, spinning, and fiery—encircles Dhruva while a grotesque bhūta-host, decked in frightening ornaments, recoils in shock.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtāvalī
• Sudarśana Cakra
• Dhruva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection arises around steadfast devotion and tapas; hostile forces become powerless before dharma-supported grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kashi Mahatmya framework, where Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the sacred setting, though no single tirtha-name is stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is on spiritual safeguarding accompanying austerity and single-minded devotion.