Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तत्संसर्गिणमावर्षमसिपत्रवने तथा । एतान्महापातकिनस्तप्ततैलकटाहके

Transliteration

tatsaṃsargiṇamāvarṣamasipatravane tathā | etānmahāpātakinastaptatailakaṭāhake

Translation

ഇവരുടെ കൂട്ടുക്കാരെ ആവർഷം, അസിപത്രവനം എന്നീ നരകങ്ങളിലേക്ക് അയക്കുക. ഈ മഹാപാപികളെ തിളച്ച എണ്ണയുള്ള കുട്ടകങ്ങളിൽ ഇടുക.

Word by Word

• tat-saṃsargiṇam: his associate
• tat-saṃsargiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsargin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तस्य संसर्गी (associate of him)

• āvarṣam: for a year/throughout the year
• āvarṣam: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āvarṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative): आवर्षम् = वर्षपर्यन्तम्/यावद्वर्षम्

• asi-patra-vane: in Asipatravana
• asi-patra-vane: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asi (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; असिपत्रवन (hell/forest of sword-leaves)

• tathā: also/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• etān: these (people)
• etān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• mahā-pātakinaḥ: great sinners
• mahā-pātakinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātakin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; महापातकयुक्ताः (great sinners)

• tapta-taila-kaṭāhake: in the cauldron of boiling oil
• tapta-taila-kaṭāhake: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + taila (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṭāhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तप्ततैलकटाहक (hell/cauldron of boiling oil)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied attendants; Andhaka in the surrounding address

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of associates (not principal criminals) are herded toward a dreadful forest whose leaves are sword-blades (Asipatravana); nearby, cauldrons of boiling oil bubble as punishment for mahāpātakins; the scene emphasizes collective consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Āvarṣa
• Asipatravana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only the principal wrongdoer but even close associates of grave sinners are warned; companionship shapes karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the larger sacred frame, but this verse is primarily a moral-theological warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it implicitly advises saṅga-śuddhi—keeping pure company to protect one’s dharma.