Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

सीमस्थैः प्रमथैर्नाहं सद्यो दृग्गोचरीकृतः । शिवनामश्रुतौ येषां तान्न पश्येद्यमोपि यत्

Transliteration

sīmasthaiḥ pramathairnāhaṃ sadyo dṛggocarīkṛtaḥ | śivanāmaśrutau yeṣāṃ tānna paśyedyamopi yat

Translation

Je ne fus pas rendu aussitôt visible aux Pramathas postés à la frontière ; car ceux qui ont entendu le Nom de Śiva, même Yama ne les voit pas.

Word by Word

• सीमस्थैः: by those standing at the boundary
• सीमस्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सीम-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; सीमा + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural)

• प्रमथैः: by the Pramathas (Shiva’s attendants)
• प्रमथैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दृग्गोचरीकृतः: made visible (brought into sight)
• दृग्गोचरीकृतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृक्-गोचरि-कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to अहम्)

• शिवनामश्रुतौ: in (the matter of) hearing Shiva’s name
• शिवनामश्रुतौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-नाम-श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + नाम + श्रुति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘श्रुतौ’ = locative singular

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्येत्: would see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• यत्: that (indeed)
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूतं सर्वनाम (indeclinable relative: ‘that/which’)

Speaker

Preta (departed spirit) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame) / within episode: a sage/ascetic

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the sacred boundary of Kāśī’s inner precinct, fierce yet protective pramathas stand guard; a subtle, unseen presence (the speaker) remains hidden, while the power of Śiva’s Name forms an invisible shield against Yama’s gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Yama
• Pramatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing or receiving Śiva’s Name grants profound spiritual protection—so strong it is portrayed as beyond Yama’s reach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred boundary and its divine guardianship are implied, though no individual tīrtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devotional hearing) of Śiva’s Name is praised as a liberating, protective act.