Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाष्टषष्टिमेतां वै महायतन संश्रयाम् । न जातु प्रविशेन्मर्त्यो जनन्या जाठरीं दरीम्

Transliteration

śrutvāṣṭaṣaṣṭimetāṃ vai mahāyatana saṃśrayām | na jātu praviśenmartyo jananyā jāṭharīṃ darīm

Translation

Nachdem man diesen achtundsechzigsten Bericht, der mit dem Großen Heiligtum verbunden ist, vernommen hat, soll ein Sterblicher niemals die Schoßhöhle betreten—die Grotte im Leib der Mutter.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया—"having heard"

• अष्टषष्टिम्: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक समाहार-द्वन्द्व (68)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संश्रयाम् इति)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• महायतन: great abode/sanctuary
• महायतन: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय समास; विशेषणम् (संश्रयाम् इति)

• संश्रयाम्: refuge, shelter
• संश्रयाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-श्रय (धातु) + आ (प्रत्यय) → संश्रया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक—"आश्रय/शरण"

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• जातु: ever, at any time
• जातु: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रविशेत्: should enter
• प्रविशेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जनन्याः: of the mother
• जनन्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जाठरीम्: belly-like, abdominal
• जाठरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाठरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दरीम् इति)

• दरीम्: cave, cleft
• दरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyatana-associated ‘Jāṭharī Darī’ (Mother’s womb-cave)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator cautions pilgrims: after hearing the sixty-eighth account of the Great Sanctuary, one must not enter the Mother’s womb-like cavern—depicted as a sealed, glowing cave-mouth with Devī’s presence felt rather than seen.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāyatana
• Jananī (Divine Mother)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence includes restraint: some sacred mysteries are not to be violated by bodily intrusion, but approached through devotion and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahāyatana (great sanctuary) within the Kāśī sacred landscape is referenced, tied to a ‘Mother’s womb-cave’ motif.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition is given: mortals are instructed not to enter the specified sacred cavern.