Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

मरुस्थले ततो ग्रीष्मे वारिवृक्षविवर्जिते । दिवाकरकरैस्तीव्रैस्ताप्यंते ते पिपासिताः

Transliteration

marusthale tato grīṣme vārivṛkṣavivarjite | divākarakaraistīvraistāpyaṃte te pipāsitāḥ

Translation

പിന്നീട് വേനലിൽ വെള്ളവും വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ഇല്ലാത്ത മരുഭൂമിയിൽ, ദാഹത്താൽ വലഞ്ഞ് അവർ സൂര്യന്റെ തീക്ഷ്ണകിരണങ്ങളിൽ ചുട്ടുപോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मरुस्थले: in the desert land
• मरुस्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुस्थल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मरौ स्थलम्)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• ग्रीष्मे: in summer
• ग्रीष्मे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वारिवृक्षविवर्जिते: devoid of water and trees
• वारिवृक्षविवर्जिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि + वृक्ष + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मरुस्थले); तत्पुरुषः (वारिणा वृक्षैश्च विवर्जितम्)

• दिवाकरकरैः: by the sun’s rays
• दिवाकरकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर + कर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिवाकरस्य कराः)

• तीव्रैः: intense
• तीव्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (करैः)

• ताप्यन्ते: are scorched, are heated
• ताप्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• ते: they
• ते: Karman (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• पिपासिताः: thirsty
• पिपासिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिपासित (प्रातिपदिक; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (ते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing summer desert with no trees or water; sinners stagger under a white-hot sun, tongues parched; heat waves rise; Yāmas drive them onward as the sun’s rays strike like spears.

Characters & Entities

• divākara (sun)
• marusthala (desert)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma culminates in deprivation and burning suffering; the verse urges restraint and purity, especially in Kāśī’s sacred sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī contextually; the desert is presented as a punitive realm, underscoring the value of dharmic life in the holy city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.