Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

प्रवेशो नास्ति चास्माकं प्रेतानां तपसां निधे । महतां पातकानां च वाराणस्यां शिवाज्ञया

Transliteration

praveśo nāsti cāsmākaṃ pretānāṃ tapasāṃ nidhe | mahatāṃ pātakānāṃ ca vārāṇasyāṃ śivājñayā

Translation

Für uns Pretas gibt es keinen Zutritt – noch für große Sünden – nach Vārāṇasī, o Schatz der Askese, auf Befehl von Śiva.

Word by Word

• प्रवेशः: entry
• प्रवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Main verb/मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रेतानाम्: of ghosts/pretas
• प्रेतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तपसाम्: of ascetics
• तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निधे: O treasure (of austerity)
• निधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महताम्: great
• महताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पातकानाम्)

• पातकानाम्: of sins
• पातकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वाराणस्याम्: in Varanasi
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शिवाज्ञया: by Shiva's command
• शिवाज्ञया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य आज्ञा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit), speaking to a sage within Skanda’s Kāśī narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī/Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tapasvī sage (tapasāṃ nidhi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Kāśī’s boundary, fierce yet dharmic Pramathas stand guard with tridents and maces; shadowy pretas and personified ‘great sins’ recoil, barred from entry by an unseen decree of Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• Śiva
• Preta
• Mahāpātaka (great sins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a divinely regulated holy zone: Śiva’s ordinance bars pretas and grave sin-forces from abiding there.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) itself is glorified as protected by Śiva’s command.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse establishes a theological rule (Śiva-ājñā) about Kāśī’s sanctified boundary.