Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

भैरेवी भीषणा नाम तत्र भीषणरूपिणी । क्षेत्रस्य भीषणं सर्वं नाशयेद्भावतोर्चिता

Transliteration

bhairevī bhīṣaṇā nāma tatra bhīṣaṇarūpiṇī | kṣetrasya bhīṣaṇaṃ sarvaṃ nāśayedbhāvatorcitā

Translation

അവിടെ ‘ഭീഷണാ’ എന്ന നാമമുള്ള ഭൈരവീ, ഭയങ്കരരൂപിണിയായ ദേവിയുണ്ട്. ഭക്തിഭാവത്തോടെ ആരാധിക്കുമ്പോൾ അവൾ ക്ഷേത്രം (കാശി) സംബന്ധമായ എല്ലാ ഭയവും ഭീതിയും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• भैरेवी: Bhairevī (a goddess)
• भैरेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• भीषणा: terrible, fearsome
• भीषणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशार्थक (indeclinable used to indicate 'by name')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• भीषणरूपिणी: having a fearsome form
• भीषणरूपिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: 'भीषणं रूपं यस्याः'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• भीषणम्: the terror, the fearful (thing)
• भीषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नाशयेत्: would destroy, may remove
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्/नाशय् (धातु; णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• भावतः: sincerely, with true feeling
• भावतः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भावतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'truly/from the heart')

• उर्चिता: worshipped
• उर्चिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पूजिता' अर्थे

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhairevī (Bhīṣaṇā) sthāna in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Likely Agastya or a principal interlocutor of the Uttarārdha frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhairevī Bhīṣaṇā stands at a threshold shrine: dark, radiant, fearsome yet benevolent; devotees offer lamps; shadowy terrors dissolve into light around the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairevī
• Bhīṣaṇā
• Kṣetra (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotionally worshipping the protective Śakti of Kāśī removes fear and obstacles within the sacred domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra itself, where the deity Bhairevī Bhīṣaṇā is present as a guardian power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhāvataḥ-arcana—worship performed with genuine inner devotion.