Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

सर्वेभ्यो दुष्टसत्त्वेभ्यो यतो रक्षेदहर्निशम् । रक्षत्येषा ततः प्रोक्ता विभूतिर्भूतिकृद्यतः

Transliteration

sarvebhyo duṣṭasattvebhyo yato rakṣedaharniśam | rakṣatyeṣā tataḥ proktā vibhūtirbhūtikṛdyataḥ

Translation

ಈ ವಿಭೂತಿ ಅಹರ್ನಿಶೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ದುಷ್ಟಸತ್ತ್ವಗಳಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ತಾನೇ ರಕ್ಷಕಸ್ವರೂಪವಾಗಿ ನಿಲ್ಲುತ್ತದೆ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇದನ್ನು ‘ವಿಭೂತಿ’ ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಇದು ಮಂಗಳ ಮತ್ತು ಶುಭಸಿದ್ಧಿಯನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• सर्वेभ्यः: from all
• सर्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्व सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन

• दुष्टसत्त्वेभ्यः: from wicked beings
• दुष्टसत्त्वेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (दुष् धातु, क्त) + सत्त्व (सत्त्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन; समासः—दुष्ट-सत्त्व (दुष्टानि सत्त्वानि)

• यतः: because / since
• यतः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal adverb: because/wherefrom)

• रक्षेत्: would protect / should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहन् (अहन् प्रातिपदिक) + निशा (निशा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययीभाववत् (adverbial dvandva used as indeclinable): द्वन्द्व—अहः+निशम्

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एषा: this (she/this thing)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• प्रोक्ता: is called / has been said
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु), क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रॊक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• विभूतिः: vibhūti (sacred ash)
• विभूतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभूति (वि + भू धातु, क्तिन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भूतिकृत्: bestower of prosperity
• भूतिकृत्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (कृ धातु, कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—भूति-कृत् (भूतिं करोति)

• यतः: because
• यतः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (because)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Vibhūti as a pale, radiant protective presence standing beside a devotee, forming a vigilant guard through day and night; shadowy ‘duṣṭa-sattvas’ kept at bay.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhūti (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred ash is not mere symbol; it is a dhārmic safeguard and a sign of Śaiva refuge that yields auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī’s tīrtha-cycle, the teaching supports the wider Piśācamocana-tīrtha narrative by explaining protective means like vibhūti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Keeping vibhūti upon oneself as continual protection (aharniśam), implying regular application.