Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

यमदूता न यस्यां हि प्रविशंति कदाचन । परःकोटीनि लिंगानि तस्यां संति पदेपदे

Transliteration

yamadūtā na yasyāṃ hi praviśaṃti kadācana | paraḥkoṭīni liṃgāni tasyāṃ saṃti padepade

Translation

Dans cette cité, les messagers de Yama n’entrent jamais; et là, à chaque pas, se trouvent d’innombrables liṅga, au-delà de toute mesure.

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• यस्याम्: in which (city)
• यस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun: in which)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (particle: indeed/for)

• प्रविशन्ति: enter
• प्रविशन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचन: ever
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (ever/at any time)

• परः: beyond, exceeding
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणस्य पूर्वपद (qualifier)

• कोटीनि: crores
• कोटीनि: Visheshya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक (crores)

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (Śiva-emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तस्याम्: in that (city)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सन्ति: are, exist
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पदे: at a step/place
• पदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या वितरणार्थः (at every)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākālapurī (Avantī/Ujjayinī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks through Mahākālapurī’s lanes where countless small and great liṅgas appear at doorways, crossroads, and ghāṭs; shadowy Yamadūtas halt at the city boundary, unable to enter; the city glows with Śaiva marks.

Characters & Entities

• Yamadūtas
• Yama
• Liṅga
• Mahākāla kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence or refuge in a supreme Śaiva kṣetra is depicted as granting protection from the fear of death and judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla/Avantī-Ujjayinī sacred region, portrayed as saturated with Śiva-liṅgas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse implies liṅga-darśana and kṣetra-sevā as natural acts there.