Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सर्वान्सर्वे समालोक्य रक्षां चक्रुः पुरापुरः । असिं महासिरूपां च पाप्यसन्मतिखंडनीम्

Transliteration

sarvānsarve samālokya rakṣāṃ cakruḥ purāpuraḥ | asiṃ mahāsirūpāṃ ca pāpyasanmatikhaṃḍanīm

Translation

Sie alle, alles überblickend, errichteten Schutzvorkehrungen, Stadt um Stadt. Und sie setzten ein Schwert ein—von der Gestalt einer gewaltigen Klinge—dessen Aufgabe es war, Sünde und verderbtes Denken zu zerschneiden.

Word by Word

• sarvān: all (of them)
• sarvān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (Accusative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all (the gods)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• samālokya: having looked at/observed
• samālokya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + lok (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• rakṣām: protection/guarding
• rakṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• cakruḥ: they made/did
• cakruḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लिट् (Perfect); पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd); वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक (indeclinable adverb of time)

• puraḥ: in front/before
• puraḥ: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puraḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb: in front/before)

• asim: a sword
• asim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• mahā-sirūpām: having the form of a great head
• mahā-sirūpām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + śiraḥ + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (महद्-शिरः-रूपा: ‘great-head-formed’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• pāpya-asanmati-khaṇḍanīm: destroyer of sinful wrong-mindedness
• pāpya-asanmati-khaṇḍanīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpya + asan-mati + khaṇḍanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘पाप्यायाः असन्मतेः खण्डनी’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asi (as kṣetra-śakti / boundary marker)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas stand watch over Kāśī’s quarters, placing protective seals; a colossal, radiant sword-manifestation (Asi) hovers or stands as a personified blade, emitting light that severs dark knots labeled ‘pāpa’ and ‘durbuddhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)
• Asi (sword/river-name resonance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a dharmic realm safeguarded by divine forces that remove sin and delusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is implied, with an allusion to ‘Asi’ that resonates with Kāśī’s sacred topography (Assi/Asi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes protective sanctity that supports seekers of liberation.