Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रस्य पूर्वदिग्भागं रक्षंती विघ्नसंघतः । लसत्सहस्रदोर्दंडां ज्वलत्केकरवीक्षणाम्

Transliteration

kṣetrasya pūrvadigbhāgaṃ rakṣaṃtī vighnasaṃghataḥ | lasatsahasradordaṃḍāṃ jvalatkekaravīkṣaṇām

Translation

विघ्नसमूहाचा नाश करणारी ती देवी क्षेत्राच्या पूर्व दिशेचे रक्षण करते—हजारो भुजांनी तेजस्वी, आणि ज्वलंत उग्र दृष्टीची।

Word by Word

• kṣetrasya: of the sacred area/field
• kṣetrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pūrva-dik-bhāgam: the eastern portion/direction-part
• pūrva-dik-bhāgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva-dik-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + दिक् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः’

• rakṣantī: protecting
• rakṣantī: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रक्षन्ती’ = protecting

• vighna-saṃghataḥ: a host/mass of obstacles (demons)
• vighna-saṃghataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna-saṃghata (प्रातिपदिक; विघ्न + संघात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विघ्नानां संघातः’

• lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍām: having shining thousand arm-staffs (many arms)
• lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; लसत् + सहस्र + दोर् + दण्डा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लसन्ति सहस्रं दोर्दण्डाः यस्याः’ (describing a goddess/being)

• jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇām: with blazing, squinting/side-glancing eyes
• jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ज्वलत् + केकर + वीक्षणा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘ज्वलत् केकरं वीक्षणं यस्याः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, many-armed Devī stands at the eastern boundary of Kāśī-kṣetra, surrounded by a host that crushes obstacles; her eyes blaze like fire, and her arms shimmer like a thousand pillars of light, forming a protective wall for the sacred field.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Guardian Devī
• Pūrvadik (East)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is not merely physical—Kāśī is envisioned as a living, protected dharma-field guarded by divine forces that remove impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-kṣetra is described, specifically its eastern quarter under divine protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring the kṣetra-guardians for obstacle-removal; no explicit snāna/dāna/japa is stated in this verse.