Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

तेषां च संछिदां कर्तुमहं धृतकुठारकः । ये काश्यां विघ्नहर्तारो ये काश्यां धर्मबुद्धयः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ ca saṃchidāṃ kartumahaṃ dhṛtakuṭhārakaḥ | ye kāśyāṃ vighnahartāro ye kāśyāṃ dharmabuddhayaḥ

Translation

เพื่อฟันทำลายคนเหล่านั้น (ผู้ก่ออุปสรรค) เราถือขวานไว้ แต่ผู้ใดในกาศีเป็นผู้ขจัดอุปสรรค และผู้ใดในกาศีมีจิตตั้งมั่นในธรรม—

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• saṃchidām: cutting down / destruction (of obstacles)
• saṃchidām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃchid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचनम्; कर्म (object)

• kartum: to do / to accomplish
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartum (तुमुन्)
• Form: तुमुनन्तः (infinitive), ‘कृ’ धातोः; प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (purpose)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• dhṛtakuṭhārakaḥ: one holding an axe
• dhṛtakuṭhārakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhṛta (कृदन्त) + kuṭhāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘धृतः कुठारकः येन सः’ इति उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थतः बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

• ye: who / those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• vighnahartāraḥ: removers of obstacles
• vighnahartāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + hartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘विघ्नान् हरन्ति’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ye: who / those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• dharmabuddhayaḥ: those of righteous intent
• dharmabuddhayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः—‘धर्मा बुद्धिर्येषां ते’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya; quoted speech of the described guardian implied)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kumbhaja (Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guardian figure brandishes an axe to sever the ‘obstruction’ embodied as thorny vines/demonic forms, while blessing dharma-minded helpers who clear the path to shrines and ghāṭas.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vighna
• Dharma
• Kuṭhāra (axe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred space is moral space: Kāśī protects the dhārmic and confronts those who harm the spiritual welfare of others.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī protective geography narrative—depicting a guardian principle that preserves dharma within the city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the emphasis is on conduct—be dharma-minded and a remover of vighnas within Kāśī.