Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाष्टषष्टिमेतां वै महायतन संश्रयाम् । न जातु प्रविशेन्मर्त्यो जनन्या जाठरीं दरीम्

Transliteration

śrutvāṣṭaṣaṣṭimetāṃ vai mahāyatana saṃśrayām | na jātu praviśenmartyo jananyā jāṭharīṃ darīm

Translation

Setelah mendengar kisah yang ke-enam puluh lapan ini, yang bersangkut dengan Mahāyatana (Tempat Suci Agung), seorang insan fana jangan sekali-kali memasuki gua rahim—rongga dalam perut Sang Ibu.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया—"having heard"

• अष्टषष्टिम्: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक समाहार-द्वन्द्व (68)

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संश्रयाम् इति)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• महायतन: great abode/sanctuary
• महायतन: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय समास; विशेषणम् (संश्रयाम् इति)

• संश्रयाम्: refuge, shelter
• संश्रयाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-श्रय (धातु) + आ (प्रत्यय) → संश्रया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक—"आश्रय/शरण"

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• जातु: ever, at any time
• जातु: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रविशेत्: should enter
• प्रविशेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जनन्याः: of the mother
• जनन्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जाठरीम्: belly-like, abdominal
• जाठरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाठरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दरीम् इति)

• दरीम्: cave, cleft
• दरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāyatana-associated ‘Jāṭharī Darī’ (Mother’s womb-cave)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator cautions pilgrims: after hearing the sixty-eighth account of the Great Sanctuary, one must not enter the Mother’s womb-like cavern—depicted as a sealed, glowing cave-mouth with Devī’s presence felt rather than seen.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāyatana
• Jananī (Divine Mother)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence includes restraint: some sacred mysteries are not to be violated by bodily intrusion, but approached through devotion and humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Mahāyatana (great sanctuary) within the Kāśī sacred landscape is referenced, tied to a ‘Mother’s womb-cave’ motif.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition is given: mortals are instructed not to enter the specified sacred cavern.