Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

नयंत्यनूपप्रायां च ततः प्राचीं दुरासदाम् । वर्षाकाले दुराचारान्पातयंति महाजले

Transliteration

nayaṃtyanūpaprāyāṃ ca tataḥ prācīṃ durāsadām | varṣākāle durācārānpātayaṃti mahājale

Translation

Ensuite ils les mènent vers une contrée marécageuse, puis vers la région orientale, difficile d’accès; à la saison des pluies, ils précipitent les méchants dans une vaste crue d’eau.

Word by Word

• नयन्ति: lead, take
• नयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• अनूपप्रायाम्: to a marshy region
• अनूपप्रायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनूप + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्राचीम्); तत्पुरुषः (अनूपं प्रायः यस्याः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तदस्)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• प्राचीम्: (to) the eastern region
• प्राचीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दुरासदाम्: hard to approach
• दुरासदाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (प्राचीम्)

• वर्षाकाले: in the rainy season
• वर्षाकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वर्षायाः कालः)

• दुराचारान्: evil-doers
• दुराचारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• पातयन्ति: cause to fall, throw down
• पातयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• महाजले: into great water (deep flood)
• महाजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाजल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् जलम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yāmas drive bound sinners through a sucking marsh, then toward a forbidding eastern wilderness; monsoon clouds burst, and a vast flood engulfs the wicked as they are cast into churning waters.

Characters & Entities

• Yāma-gaṇa
• prācī (eastern region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma presents vivid consequences to deter cruelty and misconduct, especially in a sacred place like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī indirectly—by contrasting its sanctity with the dreadful fates of those who violate dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the description of punitive destinations.