Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

इदं वरुणलोकस्य स्वरूपं ते निरूपितम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा न नरः क्वापि दुरपायैः प्रबाध्यते

Transliteration

idaṃ varuṇalokasya svarūpaṃ te nirūpitam | yacchrutvā na naraḥ kvāpi durapāyaiḥ prabādhyate

Translation

Así te ha sido expuesta la naturaleza del mundo de Varuṇa. Al oírla, el hombre no es afligido en parte alguna por graves infortunios.

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• varuṇa-lokasya: of Varuṇa’s world
• varuṇa-lokasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varuṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (varuṇasya lokaḥ)

• svarūpam: nature/form
• svarūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• te: to you/for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी (2/4), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• nirūpitam: has been described
• nirūpitam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√rūp (धातु; रूप्/रूपय्) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• kvāpi: anywhere
• kvāpi: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvāpi (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ‘anywhere’)

• durapāyaiḥ: by great dangers
• durapāyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durapāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• prabādhyate: is afflicted/harassed
• prabādhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√bādh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varuṇeśvara/Vāruṇī māhātmya (as the heard account)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor receiving the explanation (‘te nirūpitam’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher narrates Varuṇa-loka’s splendor to attentive listeners; above them, a visionary tableau of Varuṇa’s realm—watery palaces, makara banners—while dark clouds of misfortune disperse.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Varuṇaloka
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (reverent hearing) of sacred tīrtha-lore is itself meritorious and protective, reflecting Purāṇic dharma’s emphasis on listening as a sādhana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī context, centered on Varuṇeśvara and the Varuṇa-associated sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—listening to the māhātmya—is presented as the efficacious act.