Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

विध्वस्ता बहुशः साध्व्यस्तैरमार्गकृतास्पदैः । प्रसभं च परस्वानि अपहृत्य दुरासदाः

Transliteration

vidhvastā bahuśaḥ sādhvyastairamārgakṛtāspadaiḥ | prasabhaṃ ca parasvāni apahṛtya durāsadāḥ

Translation

അധർമത്തെ തന്നെ വാസസ്ഥാനമാക്കിയ ആ ദുഷ്ടർ അനേകം സാദ്വി സ്ത്രീകളെ പലവട്ടം അപമാനിച്ചു; ദുർജ്ജയരായി മറ്റുള്ളവരുടെ ധനം ബലമായി കവർന്നു।

Word by Word

• विध्वस्ताः: destroyed / devastated
• विध्वस्ताः: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ध्वंस् (धातु) → विध्वस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (साध्व्यः)

• बहुशः: many times / greatly
• बहुशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• साध्व्यः: virtuous women
• साध्व्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (सर्वनाम)

• अमार्ग-कृत-आस्पदैः: by those who had made (their) base in improper ways / lawless
• अमार्ग-कृत-आस्पदैः: Karana (Qualifier of instrument/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-कृदन्त) + आस्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तैः); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अमार्गे कृतम् आस्पदम् येषाम्/यैः)

• प्रसभम्: forcibly
• प्रसभम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसभम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: बलात्/forcibly)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पर-स्वानि: others' possessions
• पर-स्वानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (परस्य स्वम्)

• अपहृत्य: having seized / taken away
• अपहृत्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having taken away)

• दुरासदाः: hard to approach / formidable
• दुरासदाः: Karta (Implied subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आसद (धातु) → आसद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (तैः/ते); कर्मधारयः (दुष्टम् आसद्यम्—hard to approach/assail)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened Kāśī street: lawless men with harsh faces dragging away stolen goods; distressed women sheltered by elders; the city’s sanctity contrasted with moral chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Daitya followers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma manifests as violence and theft; dharma is recognized by protection of the vulnerable and respect for others’ property.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa storyline; it does not praise a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.