Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

काश्यां तु वज्रलेपो हि क्षेत्र एकत्र नश्यति । यातुर्दर्शनतः श्रुत्वा दिलीपो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ tu vajralepo hi kṣetra ekatra naśyati | yāturdarśanataḥ śrutvā dilīpo vākyamabravīt

Translation

కాశీలో ఆ ఒక్క పవిత్ర క్షేత్రములోనే భయంకరమైన ‘వజ్రలేపం’ నశిస్తుంది—యాత్రికుని వాక్యమున వినిన రాజు దిలీపుడు ఈ మాటలు పలికెను.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वज्रलेपः: the vajra-coating (hard crust)
• वज्रलेपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र-लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• क्षेत्रे: in (a) sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: in one place)

• नश्यति: perishes/disappears
• नश्यति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यातुः: of the demon (yātu)
• यातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• दर्शनतः: from/at the sight (of it)
• दर्शनतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• दिलीपः: Dilīpa
• दिलीपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Dilīpa’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler describes Kāśī to King Dilīpa; in a visionary inset, Kāśī appears with Gaṅgā ghāṭs and a Śiva shrine, where a dark, armor-like ‘vajralepa’ crust breaks and falls away from a sufferer upon entering the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Vajralepa
• Dilīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain kṣetras are described as uniquely potent for the destruction of deep-rooted sin, inspiring seekers to inquire about the highest places of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is singled out as a kṣetra where ‘vajralepa’ is destroyed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights testimonial knowledge (hearing a traveler’s account) as prompting dharmic inquiry.