Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तत्र पापं न कर्तव्यं दारुणा रुद्रयातना । अहो रुद्रपिशाचत्वं नरकेभ्योपि दुःसहम्

Transliteration

tatra pāpaṃ na kartavyaṃ dāruṇā rudrayātanā | aho rudrapiśācatvaṃ narakebhyopi duḥsaham

Translation

కాబట్టి ఆ పవిత్ర స్థలంలో పాపం చేయకూడదు; రుద్రుని శిక్ష అత్యంత భయంకరమైనది. నిజంగా ‘రుద్ర-పిశాచత్వం’ నరకాలకన్నా కూడా ఎక్కువగా అసహ్యము.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• kartavyam: to be done; should be done
• kartavyam: Vidheya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत् प्रत्यय) → kartavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative: 'to be done')

• dāruṇā: terrible
• dāruṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• rudra-yātanā: Rudra’s torment/punishment
• rudra-yātanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rudrasya yātanā)

• aho: alas!; oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विस्मयादि-निपात (exclamation)

• rudra-piśācatvam: the state of being a Rudra-demon (piśāca)
• rudra-piśācatvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + piśāca (प्रातिपदिक) + tva (त्व प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (rudra-piśāca as qualifier) + भाववाचक-त्व

• narakebhyaḥ: from the hells; than hells
• narakebhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• duḥsaham: hard to endure; unbearable
• duḥsaham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + √sah (धातु) → duḥsaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn admonition: the holy city’s radiance contrasts with the terrifying vision of Rudra’s chastisement—shadowy forms of rudra-piśācas and the dread of suffering beyond ordinary hells, urging pilgrims to keep the kṣetra pure.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Rudra (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī demands heightened moral discipline; sin there invites severe spiritual consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), portrayed as a sacred jurisdiction where divine law is intensely operative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A negative injunction is given: avoid pāpa (sin) while residing in or approaching Kāśī.