Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तमः संकेतसदनं व्याघ्रं वै वदनं महत् । कृतांतकं दराकारं बिभ्रत्कश्चित्तमभ्यगात्

Transliteration

tamaḥ saṃketasadanaṃ vyāghraṃ vai vadanaṃ mahat | kṛtāṃtakaṃ darākāraṃ bibhratkaścittamabhyagāt

Translation

อีกตนหนึ่งตรงเข้ามาหาเขา ด้วยรูปลักษณ์ที่น่าสะพรึงกลัว: มีความมืดมิดเป็นที่พำนัก มีใบหน้าใหญ่โตราวกับเสือ และมีลักษณะเหมือนพระยม (เจ้าแห่งความตาย)

Word by Word

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संकेतसदनम्: a dwelling of rendezvous/signals
• संकेतसदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकेत + सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संकेतस्य सदनम्)

• व्याघ्रम्: a tiger
• व्याघ्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपसाम्य); अत्र प्रथमा—वदनस्य उपमा/रूपकभावः

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

• वदनम्: face, mouth
• वदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great, huge
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘वदनम्’

• कृतान्तकम्: Death (Kṛtāntaka)
• कृतान्तकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतान्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दराकारम्: having a terrifying form
• दराकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरा + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दरः इव आकारः)

• बिभ्रत्: bearing, carrying
• बिभ्रत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्यगात्: approached
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims within Kāśī-māhātmya listening context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dread figure advances: its body seems made of darkness, with a huge tiger-like face; it resembles Kṛtānta approaching, compressing the air with ominous presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtānta (Death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death-like visions and darkness symbolize māyā and fear; the devotee’s stability in sacred Kāśī is portrayed as the antidote.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a whole—its sanctity is shown through narratives where even terrifying forms cannot obstruct the deeper spiritual aim.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is descriptive, contributing to the narrative setting of Kāśī’s purifying trials.