Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

राक्षसीनां शतान्यष्टौ शतमप्सरसां वरम् । एतास्ते परिचारिण्यो भविष्यंत्यमलाशये

Transliteration

rākṣasīnāṃ śatānyaṣṭau śatamapsarasāṃ varam | etāste paricāriṇyo bhaviṣyaṃtyamalāśaye

Translation

രാക്ഷസീ സ്ത്രീകൾ എട്ടുനൂറായി ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും; ശ്രേഷ്ഠ അപ്സരസ്സുകൾ നൂറായി ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും. ഹേ നിർമലാശയേ! ഇവർ എല്ലാവരും നിന്റെ പരിചാരികമാരാകും।

Word by Word

• राक्षसीनाम्: of Rākṣasī-women
• राक्षसीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्दः), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचनार्थे (eight)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• अप्सरसाम्: of Apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• वरम्: excellent, choice
• वरम्: Visheshana (adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एताः: these (women)
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: to you / your
• ते: Sampradana/Sambandha (to you/your)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिचारिण्यः: attendants, handmaidens
• परिचारिण्यः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिचारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमलाशये: in (your) pure heart/mind
• अमलाशये: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमल-आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘अमलः आशयः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not shown in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed retinue: graceful apsarases in the foreground and formidable yet disciplined rākṣasīs behind them, all rendered as attendants with offerings, fans (cāmara), lamps, and garlands, facing a ‘pure-hearted’ recipient.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasī
• Apsaras
• Amalāśaya (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puṇya is framed not merely as pleasure but as honored status—being served in a purified, divinely ordered realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose māhātmya literature frequently expresses merit through celestial privileges.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse states the promised outcome (phala) rather than the practice.