Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

बालत्वाद्भीषितो भूतैस्तपस्त्यक्ष्यत्यसौ ध्रुवम् । इति निश्चित्य भूतालिं प्रेषयामास वासवः

Transliteration

bālatvādbhīṣito bhūtaistapastyakṣyatyasau dhruvam | iti niścitya bhūtāliṃ preṣayāmāsa vāsavaḥ

Translation

“हा बालक आहे; भुतांनी भयभीत होऊन तो नक्कीच तपश्चर्या सोडील”—असा निश्चय करून वासव (इंद्र) यांनी भूतगणांचा समुदाय त्याच्यावर पाठविला।

Word by Word

• बालत्वात्: from/owing to childhood
• बालत्वात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• भीषितः: frightened
• भीषितः: Karta (Subject, adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषित (कृदन्त; √भीष्/भी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भावे; विशेषणम्

• भूतैः: by the spirits/beings
• भूतैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent causing fear)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; करणम्

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• त्यक्ष्यति: will abandon
• त्यक्ष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); निश्चयार्थे

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• निश्चित्य: having ascertained/decided
• निश्चित्य: Kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित्य (कृदन्त; √निश्+√चि (धातु) + क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• भूतालिम्: the troop of spirits
• भूतालिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतानाम् आलिः = group of spirits)

• प्रेषयामास: sent/dispatched
• प्रेषयामास: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र √इष्/प्रेष् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• वासवः: Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; इन्द्रनाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, anxious about a child-ascetic’s rising tapas, dispatches a swirling troop of bhūtas toward the solitary boy absorbed in austerity, with Kāśī’s sacred ambience in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsava (Indra)
• Bhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is tested by fear and obstruction; steadfastness is the measure of spiritual resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse itself focuses on a trial of austerity rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the theme is the protection and perseverance of tapas (austerity).