Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

अथ सर्वगतः शंभुर्ज्ञात्वा तस्याशयं हरः । दैत्यस्य दुष्टरूपस्य वधाय विदधे धियम्

Transliteration

atha sarvagataḥ śaṃbhurjñātvā tasyāśayaṃ haraḥ | daityasya duṣṭarūpasya vadhāya vidadhe dhiyam

Translation

Maka Śambhu, Hara yang meliputi segalanya, mengetahui maksud sang Daitya; Ia pun menyusun daya-upaya untuk membinasakan Daitya yang berwujud jahat itu.

Word by Word

• अथ: then, now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/सम्बन्धबोधक (indeclinable particle: then/now)

• सर्वगतः: all-pervading
• सर्वगतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ग (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having known)

• तस्य: of him/that (of the demon)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आशयम्: intention, disposition
• आशयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दैत्यस्य: of the demon
• दैत्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दुष्टरूपस्य: of evil form
• दुष्टरूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दैत्यस्य’)

• वधाय: for killing
• वधाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• विदधे: he devised, he set (his mind)
• विदधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धियम्: thought, plan, intention
• धियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/śaunaka-style recipients typical of Purāṇic frame; specific interlocutors not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Within the sanctified precincts of Kāśī, Śambhu perceives the demon’s intent and inwardly forms a decisive plan to destroy the wicked daitya to safeguard the holy realm.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Hara
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva, who knows the inner intention of all, actively intervenes to remove adharma and protect the sacred order and devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, where Śiva’s protective presence is celebrated through local liṅga-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it sets the narrative basis for later praise and requests for protection at the sacred spot.