Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

चतुःषष्टिस्तु वेताला महाभीषणमूर्तयः । रुंडमुंडस्रजः सर्वे कर्त्रीखर्परपाणयः

Transliteration

catuḥṣaṣṭistu vetālā mahābhīṣaṇamūrtayaḥ | ruṃḍamuṃḍasrajaḥ sarve kartrīkharparapāṇayaḥ

Translation

และมีเวตาล ๖๔ ตน ผู้มีรูปอันน่าสะพรึงกลัวยิ่ง; ทุกตนสวมพวงมาลัยเศียรขาด ถือมีดและกะโหลกเป็นบาตรในมือ

Word by Word

• चतुःषष्टिः: sixty-four
• चतुःषष्टिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुः-षष्टि (संख्यासमास-प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + षष्टि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (64)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वेतालाः: Vetālas
• वेतालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• महाभीषणमूर्तयः: having very terrifying forms
• महाभीषणमूर्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-भीषण-मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भीषण + मूर्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महाभीषणा मूर्तिः येषाम्/महाभीषणमूर्तयः)

• रुण्डमुण्डस्रजः: garlanded with trunks and heads
• रुण्डमुण्डस्रजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुण्ड-मुण्ड-स्रज् (प्रातिपदिक; रुण्ड + मुण्ड + स्रज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुण्डमुण्डानां स्रजः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (वेतालानां विशेषणम्)

• कर्त्रीखर्परपाणयः: having scissors/knife and skull-bowl in their hands
• कर्त्रीखर्परपाणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्त्री-खर्पर-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक; कर्त्री + खर्पर + पाणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (कर्त्री च खर्परं च पाण्योः यस्य/येषाम्—अर्थे)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearsome retinue of sixty-four vetālas with garlands of severed heads, holding knives and skull-bowls, standing as a protective cordon—more like a supernatural militia than random spirits—framing the sanctity of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Vetāla
• Kāśī
• Bhairava (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is safeguarded by fierce attendants who deter impurity and wrongdoing around the mokṣa-city.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a protected sacred field (kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is described; the verse emphasizes the protective retinue surrounding Kāśī.