Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दुर्गं च स्वर्गतुल्यं मे यत्र नास्त्यरितो भयम् । अयं न ता गतीर्वेत्ति या वेदाहं नभोंगणे

Transliteration

durgaṃ ca svargatulyaṃ me yatra nāstyarito bhayam | ayaṃ na tā gatīrvetti yā vedāhaṃ nabhoṃgaṇe

Translation

“My stronghold is like heaven itself—there, there is no fear from any enemy. This one does not know those pathways of movement in the open sky that I know.”

Word by Word

• दुर्गम्: fortress; stronghold
• दुर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म/विधेय-रूपे (contextual)

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

• स्वर्गतुल्यम्: equal to heaven
• स्वर्गतुल्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (svargasya tulyaḥ); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मे: my; of me
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

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

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अरितः: from an enemy
• अरितः: Apadana (Source/Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान-भावे

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• गतीः: movements; modes of flight
• गतीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• या: who
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: me
• अहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नभः-गणे: in the expanse of the sky
• नभः-गणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nabhasaḥ gaṇaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Śyena (hawk), speaking to his mate (pārāvatī/vihaṃgamī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A confident hawk speaks of a heaven-like stronghold and secret sky-paths, evoking a lofty aerial domain above the sacred city.

Characters & Entities

• Śyena (hawk)
• Pārāvatī (female bird/mate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge removes fear; confidence arises from knowing the right ‘path’ (gati) and standing in a secure dhārmic shelter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework; while this line is narrative, the broader section belongs to the glorification of Kāśī as a fear-dispelling sacred realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is stated in this verse.