Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वीरभद्रः स्वयं साक्षाद्वीरमूर्तिधरो मुने । संहरेद्विप्रसंघातमविमुक्तनिवासिनाम

Transliteration

vīrabhadraḥ svayaṃ sākṣādvīramūrtidharo mune | saṃharedviprasaṃghātamavimuktanivāsināma

Translation

Ô sage, Vīrabhadra lui-même, manifesté en forme héroïque, anéantirait la troupe assaillante contre les brāhmaṇas qui demeurent à Avimukta.

Word by Word

• वीरभद्रः: Vīrabhadra
• वीरभद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्षार्थक (adverb: directly/in person)

• वीरमूर्तिधरः: bearer of a heroic form
• वीरमूर्तिधरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (वीरस्य मूर्तिं धरः / वीरमूर्तिं धरः)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• संहरेत्: should destroy/annihilate
• संहरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्रसंघातम्: a multitude of brāhmaṇas
• विप्रसंघातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विप्राणां संघातः)

• अविमुक्तनिवासिनाम्: of the residents of Avimukta
• अविमुक्तनिवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अविमुक्ते निवासिनः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī) under Vīrabhadra’s protection

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a ‘muni’ (sage) within the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra, embodying heroic fury, stands at the threshold of Avimukta, shielding brāhmaṇas; an attacking host is shown being repelled or dissolved, emphasizing divine protection of the sacred community.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Avimukta (Kāśī)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī (Avimukta) is depicted as divinely guarded; dharma-protection is assured for those anchored in sacred living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta—Śiva’s never-abandoned realm within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse states a protective promise associated with Vīrabhadra and Avimukta.