Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

प्राग्द्वारमट्टहासश्च गणकोटिपरीवृतः । रक्षेदहर्निशं क्षेत्रं दुर्वृत्तेभ्यो विभीषणः

Transliteration

prāgdvāramaṭṭahāsaśca gaṇakoṭiparīvṛtaḥ | rakṣedaharniśaṃ kṣetraṃ durvṛttebhyo vibhīṣaṇaḥ

Translation

À la porte de l’Est, Aṭṭahāsa—entouré de crores de gaṇas—veille jour et nuit sur le kṣetra sacré, épouvante des méchants.

Word by Word

• prāgdvāram: the eastern gate
• prāgdvāram: Adhikarana (Specifier/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāk + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्राच्यं द्वारम्)

• aṭṭahāsaḥ: Aṭṭahāsa (loud laughter; name/personified)
• aṭṭahāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭa + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अट्टः हासः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• gaṇakoṭiparīvṛtaḥ: surrounded by crores of gaṇas
• gaṇakoṭiparīvṛtaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṇa + koṭi + parivṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गणकोट्या परिवृतः = surrounded by crores of gaṇas)

• rakṣet: should protect
• rakṣet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aharniśam: day and night
• aharniśam: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ahar + niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (अहश्च निशा च), अव्ययीभावेन नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (day and night)

• kṣetram: the sacred place
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• durvṛttebhyaḥ: from the wicked
• durvṛttebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; अपादान

• vibhīṣaṇaḥ: Vibhīṣaṇa (the terrifying one/name)
• vibhīṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta Kṣetra — Prāg-dvāra (Eastern gate)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At sunrise, the eastern gate of Avimukta stands monumental. Aṭṭahāsa, a fierce guardian figure, laughs thunderously (name-implied), surrounded by countless gaṇas, keeping watch day and night; wicked figures shrink away while pilgrims pass safely.

Characters & Entities

• Aṭṭahāsa
• Gaṇas
• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sanctity of Avimukta is maintained by powerful guardians who repel wickedness and protect pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Avimukta region of Kāśī, specifically its prāg-dvāra (eastern gate) in the sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes the kṣetra’s protective guardianship rather than prescribing a rite.