Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

पापादवंती सा विश्वमवंतीति निगद्यते । युगेयुगेन्यनाम्नी सा कलावुज्जयिनीति च

Transliteration

pāpādavaṃtī sā viśvamavaṃtīti nigadyate | yugeyugenyanāmnī sā kalāvujjayinīti ca

Translation

เพราะนางคุ้มครองโลกให้พ้นจากบาป จึงถูกเรียกว่า “อวันตี” ในแต่ละยุคชื่อของนางย่อมต่างกัน และในกาลียุค นางยังเป็นที่รู้จักว่า “อุชไชยนี”

Word by Word

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अवन्ती: Avantī (city/region)
• अवन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विश्वम्: the world
• विश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अवन्ती: Avantī
• अवन्ती: Pratijna/Name predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशसूचक (quotative)

• निगद्यते: is called/said
• निगद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive)

• युगे: in an age (yuga)
• युगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• युगे: in each yuga
• युगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या वितरणार्थः (each)

• अन्यानाम्नी: having another name
• अन्यानाम्नी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (अन्यं नाम यस्याः सा) विशेषणम् (सा)

• सा: she/that (city)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• उज्जयिनी: Ujjayinī
• उज्जयिनी: Pratijna/Name predicate
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नामरूपेण

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशसूचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avantī (Ujjayinī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred panorama of Avantī/Ujjayinī with inscriptions of its names across yugas; protective aura encircling the city, with pilgrims entering through gates while dark ‘pāpa’ shadows remain outside.

Characters & Entities

• Avantī
• Ujjayinī
• Kali-yuga
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely a location—its very identity is to protect beings from sin and uplift them across ages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avantī, identified with Ujjayinī (Ujjain), famed in Śaiva sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse explains the etymology and yuga-name of the sacred place.