Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

रक्षंति सततं क्षेत्रं यत्र पाशासिपाणयः । महापारिषदा उग्राः क्रूरेभ्योऽक्रूरबुद्धयः

Transliteration

rakṣaṃti satataṃ kṣetraṃ yatra pāśāsipāṇayaḥ | mahāpāriṣadā ugrāḥ krūrebhyo'krūrabuddhayaḥ

Translation

Jenes heilige Gebiet wird unablässig bewacht von grimmigen großen Gefolgsleuten, mit Schlingen und Schwertern in den Händen—schrecklich für die Grausamen, doch gütig in ihrer Absicht.

Word by Word

• rakṣanti: protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• satatam: constantly
• satatam: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• kṣetram: the sacred place
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक (relative locative adverb: where)

• pāśāsipāṇayaḥ: those whose hands hold noose and sword
• pāśāsipāṇayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśa + asi + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (पाशौ असिश्च पाणौ यस्य ते)

• mahāpāriṣadāḥ: great attendants (of Śiva)
• mahāpāriṣadāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + pāriṣada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः पारिषदाः)

• ugrāḥ: fierce
• ugrāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• krūrebhyaḥ: from the cruel (ones)
• krūrebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; अपादान

• akrūrabuddhayaḥ: those of non-cruel disposition
• akrūrabuddhayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-krūra + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अक्रूरा बुद्धिर्येषां ते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fierce yet purposeful guardians—great Śiva-attendants—stand at invisible boundaries of Avimukta, holding pāśa (noose) and asi (sword). Their faces are terrifying to wrongdoers, but their posture is protective toward devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Śiva-gaṇas (attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is divinely protected: forces aligned with Śiva safeguard the kṣetra and restrain harmful conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Avimukta sacred region of Kāśī as a protected divine territory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No; the verse describes kṣetra-rakṣā (divine guardianship) rather than a human-performed rite.