Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

यो न सांवत्सरीं यात्रां दुर्गायाः कुरुते कुधीः । काश्यां विघ्न सहस्राणि तस्य स्युश्च पदेपदे

Transliteration

yo na sāṃvatsarīṃ yātrāṃ durgāyāḥ kurute kudhīḥ | kāśyāṃ vighna sahasrāṇi tasya syuśca padepade

Translation

ദുര്‍ഗയുടെ വാർഷിക യാത്ര അനുഷ്ഠിക്കാത്ത കുബുദ്ധി മൂഢന് കാശിയിൽ പടിപടിയായി ആയിരം വിഘ്നങ്ങൾ നേരിടേണ്ടിവരും.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• sāṃvatsarīm: annual
• sāṃvatsarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāṃvatsarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (annual)

• yātrām: pilgrimage/rite
• yātrām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• durgāyāḥ: of Durgā
• durgāyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kudhīḥ: a foolish/ill-minded person
• kudhīḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku (उपसर्गार्थ) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘कुद्-धीः’ = evil-minded/foolish person

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vighna: obstacle(s)
• vighna: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/पूर्वपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे समास/समूह-पूर्वपद-प्रयोग; अत्र ‘विघ्नसहस्राणि’ इत्यस्य पूर्वपदत्वेन अव्यक्त-समासाङ्ग (stem form)

• sahasrāṇi: thousands
• sahasrāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• syuḥ: would be / will occur
• syuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकार (Optative/Potential), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• pade: at (each) step
• pade: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगे (pade pade)

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (distributive repetition)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Durgā sāṃvatsarika-yātrā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī repeatedly halted by small mishaps—broken sandal strap, blocked lane, missed ferry—symbolizing ‘vighna-sahasrāṇi’; in contrast, a family performing Devī-yātrā proceeds smoothly under Durgā’s protective gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma frames sacred duties as protective disciplines; neglect invites impediments and instability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the stated setting where the protective order of Durgā’s yātrā is emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not omit Durgā’s annual yātrā; it is prescribed as a recurring observance.