Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

न कल्पकोटिभिः काश्यां कृतं कर्म प्रमृज्यते । किंतु रुद्रपिशाचत्वं जायतेऽत्रायुतत्रयम्

Transliteration

na kalpakoṭibhiḥ kāśyāṃ kṛtaṃ karma pramṛjyate | kiṃtu rudrapiśācatvaṃ jāyate'trāyutatrayam

Translation

Même en des crores d’âges, l’acte accompli à Kāśī ne s’efface pas ; au contraire, en ce lieu même, on devient un Rudra-Piśāca durant trente mille ans.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• कल्पकोटिभिः: by crores of kalpas
• कल्पकोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कल्पानां कोटिभिः)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'done'

• कर्म: deed/act
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रमृज्यते: is wiped away
• प्रमृज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• किंतु: but
• किंतु: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंतु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (adversative conjunction)

• रुद्रपिशाचत्वम्: state of being a Rudra-piśāca
• रुद्रपिशाचत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रुद्रस्य पिशाचत्वम् / रुद्र-पिशाचत्वम्)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अयुतत्रयम्: three ayutas (thirty thousand)
• अयुतत्रयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Measure/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयम् अयुतानि = 30,000)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijas/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of ‘Rudra-Piśāca’: a being with Rudra’s marks (tripuṇḍra, matted hair silhouette) but piśāca-like gauntness, standing within Kāśī’s lanes under a stern, compassionate Śiva presence—showing consequence without severing Rudra’s oversight.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Rudra-Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions performed in Kāśī carry an intensified and enduring karmic imprint; the kṣetra magnifies both merit and transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as a uniquely potent Śaiva sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it functions as a dharmic warning to remain disciplined while living in Kāśī.