Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

इति शापानलाद्भीतैः कैश्चित्पातालमाश्रितम् । जिजीविषुभिरन्यैश्च द्वित्रैश्चक्रे प्रसूवचः

Transliteration

iti śāpānalādbhītaiḥ kaiścitpātālamāśritam | jijīviṣubhiranyaiśca dvitraiścakre prasūvacaḥ

Translation

അഗ്നിപോലെയുള്ള ആ ശാപത്തിൽ ഭയന്ന് ചിലർ പാതാളം ആശ്രയിച്ചു; മറ്റുള്ളവർ ജീവിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹത്തോടെ രണ്ടുമൂന്നു കൂട്ടുകാരോടൊപ്പം പ്രസവകാര്യത്തിൽ ഒരു ഉപായം ചമച്ചു।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyartha-marker (Quotation/इत्यादि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• शापानलात्: from the fire of the curse
• शापानलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ

• भीतैः: by the frightened (ones)
• भीतैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भी + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कैश्चित्: by some
• कैश्चित्: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रितम्: resorted to, taken refuge in
• आश्रितम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having resorted to’ (पातालम्)

• जिजीविषुभिः: by those wishing to live
• जिजीविषुभिः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिजीविषु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् + सन्/इषु-इच्छार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘जीवितुमिच्छन्तः’ (desirous of living)

• अन्यैः: by others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• द्वित्रैः: by two or three
• द्वित्रैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘द्वाभ्यां त्रिभिः वा’ (two or three)

• चक्रे: did, made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• प्रसूवचः: the words of the mother (serpent)
• प्रसूवचः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसू (प्रातिपदिक) + वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मपद; ‘प्रसूवचनम्’ (words of the mother/parturient)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla (mythic refuge)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After the curse, nāgas scatter: some descend into subterranean caverns (Pātāla) while a small group huddles in urgent counsel, plotting a survival plan related to childbirth.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Nāgas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When consequences mature, beings resort to flight or cunning; dharma warns against actions that force such desperate choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is mythic-cosmological rather than a site-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.