Shloka 60 - Adhyaya 31 - Purva Ardha - Kashi Khanda | German | Vedapath

Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

कपालपाणिर्विश्वात्मा चचार भुवनत्रयम् । नात्याक्षीच्चापि तं देवं ब्रह्महत्या सुदारुणा

Transliteration

kapālapāṇirviśvātmā cacāra bhuvanatrayam | nātyākṣīccāpi taṃ devaṃ brahmahatyā sudāruṇā

Translation

Mit dem Schädel in der Hand durchwanderte das All-Selbst die drei Welten; doch die überaus schreckliche Brahmahatyā verließ jenen Gott nicht.

Word by Word

कपालपाणिःthe skull-in-hand (Śiva)

विश्वात्माthe universal self

चचारwandered

भुवनत्रयम्the three worlds

नnot

अत्याक्षीत्overtook / caught up with

चand

अपिeven/also

तम्him

देवम्the god

ब्रह्महत्याBrahmin-slaying (sin/personified)

सुदारुणाvery dreadful

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied as the ultimate purifier)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Kapālapāṇi/Bhikṣāṭana, skull-bowl in hand, wandering through cosmic realms while the personified Brahmahatyā clings like a shadow.

Characters & Entities

Bhairava

Brahmahatyā

Trailokya (three worlds)

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merely roaming or worldly movement cannot dissolve grave demerit; deeper expiation and sacred refuge are required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the need for Kāśī’s unique purifying power, though it is not named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The skull-bearing mode (kāpālika marker) is implied; no detailed rite is given in this verse.