Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

इदमाख्यानमाकर्ण्य गच्छन्देशांतरं नरः । चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैर्नाभिभूयेत कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

idamākhyānamākarṇya gacchandeśāṃtaraṃ naraḥ | coravyāghrapiśācādyairnābhibhūyeta kutracit

Translation

Wer diese heilige Begebenheit vernommen hat, wird, selbst wenn er in andere Gegenden reist, nirgends von Dieben, Tigern, Piśācas und dergleichen überwältigt.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आख्यानम्)

• आख्यानम्: narrative
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having listened/heard)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः)

• देशान्तरम्: to another country/region
• देशान्तरम्: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (देशस्य अन्तरम् = another region)

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैः: by thieves, tigers, goblins, etc.
• चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चोर-व्याघ्र-पिशाच-आदयः)

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

• अभिभूयेत: would be overpowered
• अभिभूयेत: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-māhātmya (as protective śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / Agastya contextually

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler on a forest road remembers the sacred account; thieves hide, a tiger turns away, and eerie piśāca forms vanish as a luminous protective aura surrounds the pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Cora (thieves)
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic listening to sacred lore is portrayed as a protective merit that accompanies a devotee beyond the shrine—into daily life and travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred source of the narrative; its māhātmya is said to protect devotees even outside Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) to the ākhyāna; no additional rite is specified.