Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सर्वान्सर्वे समालोक्य रक्षां चक्रुः पुरापुरः । असिं महासिरूपां च पाप्यसन्मतिखंडनीम्

Transliteration

sarvānsarve samālokya rakṣāṃ cakruḥ purāpuraḥ | asiṃ mahāsirūpāṃ ca pāpyasanmatikhaṃḍanīm

Translation

Tous, ayant tout considéré, établirent des protections, de cité en cité. Et ils instituèrent une épée—pareille à une grande lame—dont l’office était de trancher le péché et l’intelligence pervertie.

Word by Word

• sarvān: all (of them)
• sarvān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (Accusative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all (the gods)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); प्रथमा (Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• samālokya: having looked at/observed
• samālokya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + lok (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• rakṣām: protection/guarding
• rakṣām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• cakruḥ: they made/did
• cakruḥ: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लिट् (Perfect); पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd); वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक (indeclinable adverb of time)

• puraḥ: in front/before
• puraḥ: Desha (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puraḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb: in front/before)

• asim: a sword
• asim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• mahā-sirūpām: having the form of a great head
• mahā-sirūpām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + śiraḥ + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (महद्-शिरः-रूपा: ‘great-head-formed’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• pāpya-asanmati-khaṇḍanīm: destroyer of sinful wrong-mindedness
• pāpya-asanmati-khaṇḍanīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpya + asan-mati + khaṇḍanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘पाप्यायाः असन्मतेः खण्डनी’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asi (as kṣetra-śakti / boundary marker)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas stand watch over Kāśī’s quarters, placing protective seals; a colossal, radiant sword-manifestation (Asi) hovers or stands as a personified blade, emitting light that severs dark knots labeled ‘pāpa’ and ‘durbuddhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)
• Asi (sword/river-name resonance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a dharmic realm safeguarded by divine forces that remove sin and delusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is implied, with an allusion to ‘Asi’ that resonates with Kāśī’s sacred topography (Assi/Asi).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes protective sanctity that supports seekers of liberation.