Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

द्वादशश्च यमादित्यः काशिपुर्यां घटोद्भव । तमोऽधिकेभ्यो दुष्टेभ्यः क्षेत्रं रक्षंत्यमी सदा

Transliteration

dvādaśaśca yamādityaḥ kāśipuryāṃ ghaṭodbhava | tamo'dhikebhyo duṣṭebhyaḥ kṣetraṃ rakṣaṃtyamī sadā

Translation

പന്ത്രണ്ടാമത് യമാദിത്യൻ. ഓ ഘടോദ്ഭവാ, ഇവർ എപ്പോഴും കാശീപുരിയിലെ ക്ഷേത്രഭൂമിയെ അന്ധകാരത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയ ദുഷ്ടരിൽ നിന്ന് കാക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• dvādaśaḥ: the twelfth
• dvādaśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Sg.); क्रमवाचक/गणनावाचक (as ‘the twelfth’)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (indeclinable conjunction)

• yamādityaḥ: Yamāditya
• yamādityaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + āditya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (यम-सम्बन्धी आदित्यः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Sg.)

• kāśī-puryām: in Kāśī city
• kāśī-puryām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (काश्यां पुरी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Fem., Loc., Sg.)

• ghaṭa-udbhava: O Ghaṭodbhava (born from a pot)
• ghaṭa-udbhava: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (घटात् उद्भवः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masc., Voc., Sg.)

• tamaḥ: darkness
• tamaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Sg.)

• adhikebhyaḥ: from those who are excessive/abounding (in it)
• adhikebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (Masc., Abl., Pl.)

• duṣṭebhyaḥ: from the wicked
• duṣṭebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; क्त from duṣ)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, बहुवचन (Masc., Abl., Pl.)

• kṣetram: the sacred region/field
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Sg.)

• rakṣanti: protect
• rakṣanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd, Pl.)

• amī: these (ones)
• amī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.; demonstrative pronoun)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Avyaya (Temporal modifier/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable; adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamāditya (within Dvādaśa-Āditya of Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ghaṭodbhava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yamāditya as a solar form with a stern yet luminous aura stands at a symbolic gate of Kāśī; the twelve Ādityas form a radiant protective circle around the city, pushing back shadowy figures representing tamas and wickedness.

Characters & Entities

• Yamāditya
• Kāśīpuri
• Ghaṭodbhava (Agastya epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is a protected sacred realm; divine forces guard it against tamasic and harmful influences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīpuri as a kṣetra under the guardianship of twelve Ādityas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the focus is on kṣetra-rakṣā (protection of the sacred field).