Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अविमुक्तस्य रक्षार्थं यत्र या देवताः स्थिताः । प्रसादं कुरु मे देव ताः समाचक्ष्व तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

avimuktasya rakṣārthaṃ yatra yā devatāḥ sthitāḥ | prasādaṃ kuru me deva tāḥ samācakṣva tattvataḥ

Translation

เพื่อพิทักษ์อวิมุกตะ เทพองค์ใดประทับ ณ ที่ใด? ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า โปรดเมตตาข้าพเจ้า แล้วทรงบอกกล่าวให้แจ่มชัดตามสัจธรรมโดยพิสดาร

Word by Word

• अविमुक्तस्य: of Avimukta (the sacred place)
• अविमुक्तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थलनाम), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रक्षार्थम्: for (its) protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रक्षा-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; अर्थे (purpose) अव्ययवत्—"for protection"

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• याः: which
• याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• देवताः: deities
• देवताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्थिताः: are stationed/abide
• स्थिताः: Kriya (क्रिया/अवस्था)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; "देवताः" इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रसादम्: favor, grace
• प्रसादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरु: do, grant
• कुरु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• ताः: those (deities)
• ताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• समाचक्ष्व: tell fully, explain
• समाचक्ष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्त्वतः: in truth, accurately
• तत्त्वतः: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nandin/Viśvanandin

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya requests a truthful, complete mapping: ‘which deity stands where’ for Avimukta’s protection; the teacher is envisioned revealing a mandala-map of the city with deity icons at nodes.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta
• Devatāḥ
• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking sacred knowledge requires humility and clarity; knowing the divine order of a kṣetra deepens faith and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta (the never-abandoned sacred zone of Kāśī) is explicitly named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated; the request is for an accurate listing of protective deities and their stations.