Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

आपद्यपि हि घोरायां काशी त्याज्या न कुत्रचित् । यतः सर्वापदांहर्ता त्राता विश्वपतिः प्रभुः

Transliteration

āpadyapi hi ghorāyāṃ kāśī tyājyā na kutracit | yataḥ sarvāpadāṃhartā trātā viśvapatiḥ prabhuḥ

Translation

ഭീകരമായ ആപത്തിൽപോലും കാശിയെ ഒരിടത്തും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കരുത്; കാരണം വിശ്വപതി പ്രഭു സർവ്വ ആപത്തുകളും അകറ്റുന്നവനും സത്യ രക്ഷകനുമാണ്।

Word by Word

• आपदि: in calamity
• आपदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — in calamity

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/सम्भावना — particle “even/also”

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ-निपात — “indeed/for”

• घोरायाम्: terrible
• घोरायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आपदि) — in terrible (calamity)

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Kāśī

• त्याज्या: to be abandoned
• त्याज्या: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्याज्य (कृदन्त-तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय — “is to be abandoned” (negated here)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात — “not”

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक — “anywhere/at any place”

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेतुवाचक — “because/since”

• सर्वापदाम्: of all calamities
• सर्वापदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाः आपदः) — of all calamities

• हर्ता: remover
• हर्ता: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हर्तृ (कृदन्त-तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक — “remover”

• त्राता: protector
• त्राता: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रा (धातु) → त्रातृ (कृदन्त-तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त — “protector/savior”

• विश्वपतिः: lord of the universe
• विश्वपतिः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य पतिः) — lord of the universe

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — master/lord

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A storm or calamity threatens the city; devotees remain near Viśveśvara’s temple, praying; the Lord’s protective presence is symbolized as a radiant shield over Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Viśvapati (Lord of the universe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is taught as a spiritual refuge: steadfastness in the holy place expresses faith in the Lord who removes adversity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as an un-abandonable kṣetra under the protection of the universal Lord.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vow-like instruction: do not forsake Kāśī even during severe hardship, trusting in the Lord’s guardianship.