Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

ज्वालाकीले महाघोरे नरकेऽमुं नि पातय । यो वह्निना दाहयति परक्षेत्रं परालयम्

Transliteration

jvālākīle mahāghore narake'muṃ ni pātaya | yo vahninā dāhayati parakṣetraṃ parālayam

Translation

จงโยนผู้ที่เผานาและบ้านเรือนของผู้อื่นด้วยไฟ ลงในนรกที่น่ากลัวที่สุดชื่อ ชวาลากีละ (Jvālākīla)

Word by Word

• ज्वालाकीले: in the ‘Flame-spike’ (hell)
• ज्वालाकीले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वाला + कील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ज्वालानां कीलः / ज्वाला-कील-नामकः नरकः)

• महाघोरे: very dreadful
• महाघोरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमुम्: that man (him)
• अमुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नि: down/into
• नि: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग-अव्यय (preverb)

• पातय: throw down
• पातय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) ‘पातय’ = cause to fall, throw down

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• वह्निना: with fire
• वह्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दाहयति: burns/sets on fire
• दाहयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) ‘causes to burn/burns’

• परक्षेत्रम्: another’s field
• परक्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (परं क्षेत्रम्)

• परालयम्: another’s house/dwelling
• परालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (परम् आलयम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa, Skanda → Agastya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing infernal pit labeled Jvālākīla: iron stakes or fiery spikes amid roaring flames; yamadūtas push the arsonist toward the burning spikes; silhouettes of fields/huts in the background as symbolic memory.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī
• Naraka
• Jvālākīla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deliberately destroying others’ livelihood and shelter by fire is a heavy sin that ripens into intense suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred context; the verse itself focuses on dharma-education rather than a single tirtha’s praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is given; the passage functions as deterrence grounded in karma-phala.