Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति तत्क्षेत्रं दुष्प्रापं त्रिदशैरपि । कृत्वा कर्माण्यनेकानि कल्याणानीतराणि वा

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti tatkṣetraṃ duṣprāpaṃ tridaśairapi | kṛtvā karmāṇyanekāni kalyāṇānītarāṇi vā

Translation

Dès lors, ce kṣetra sacré devint difficile à atteindre même pour les dieux ; quand bien même les êtres accompliraient d’innombrables actes, favorables ou non.

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• prabhṛti: since
• prabhṛti: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prabhṛti (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भवाचक अव्यय (since/from)

• tatkṣetram: that sacred region
• tatkṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तत् क्षेत्रम् = that region)

• duṣprāpam: difficult to attain
• duṣprāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus + prāpa (प्रातिपदिक; √āp/√prāp (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण (hard-to-obtain)

• tridaśaiḥ: by the gods
• tridaśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having done

• karmāṇi: deeds; actions
• karmāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• anekāni: many
• anekāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• kalyāṇāni: auspicious; good
• kalyāṇāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalyāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• itarāṇi: other; opposite (non-auspicious)
• itarāṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī-kṣetra (post Gaṅgā-association emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary depiction of Kāśī as a radiant, guarded sacred field—devas looking on from the sky, while a few humble pilgrims are allowed entry; a subtle motif of karmic threads or a gate of light indicating rarity of access.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśīkṣetra (implied)
• Tridaśa (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attaining Kāśī is not merely a result of ordinary effort; it is a rare spiritual destiny beyond even divine reach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra/Avimukta region as a whole, praised for its rarity and exalted status.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the verse contrasts many karmas with the exceptional rarity of reaching the kṣetra.