Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मया प्रविष्टा बहुशः कृतांतवदनोपमाः । तपश्चापि महत्तप्तं बहुभिर्नियमैर्यमैः

Transliteration

mayā praviṣṭā bahuśaḥ kṛtāṃtavadanopamāḥ | tapaścāpi mahattaptaṃ bahubhirniyamairyamaiḥ

Translation

Bien des fois je suis entré en des lieux semblables à la bouche même de la Mort ; et j’ai aussi accompli une grande austérité (tapas), soutenu par de nombreuses observances et maîtrises, niyama et yama.

Word by Word

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Case 3), एकवचन

• praviṣṭāḥ: were entered; I entered
• praviṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), बहुवचन

• bahuśaḥ: many times
• bahuśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahuśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• kṛtānta-vadana-upamāḥ: resembling the face of Death
• kṛtānta-vadana-upamāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival to implied 'guhāḥ/vanāni' etc.)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtānta (प्रातिपदिक) + vadana (प्रातिपदिक) + upamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Case 1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: कृतान्तस्य वदनम् इव उपमाः (like the face of Death)

• tapaḥ: austerity; penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Case 1/2), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• api: also; even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/समुच्चय (particle: also/even)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• taptam: was performed; was practiced
• taptam: Kriyā (Verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Case 2), एकवचन; 'tapaḥ' इत्यस्य कर्मणि

• bahubhiḥ: with many
• bahubhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (Case 3), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• niyamaiḥ: with observances; restraints
• niyamaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Case 3), बहुवचन

• yamaiḥ: with disciplines; moral restraints
• yamaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Case 3), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified seeker (listener addressing Garga, contextually Damanā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The seeker describes entering dread places like Death’s mouth—dark threshold, skulls/pyres suggested, yet he remains composed—then scenes of rigorous tapas: standing in sun, fasting, japa, restrained senses.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtānta (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intense tapas and strict discipline can remain incomplete without the right path and guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself does not name a tirtha; the chapter context belongs to Kāśī (Avimukta), famed for granting siddhi and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General reference to yama-niyama (restraints and observances), not a specific rite.