Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सत्यमस्खलितं कच्चिदस्ति त्रैलोक्यमंडपे । तीर्थावरोधो न क्वापि केनचित्क्रियते विधे

Transliteration

satyamaskhalitaṃ kaccidasti trailokyamaṃḍape | tīrthāvarodho na kvāpi kenacitkriyate vidhe

Translation

โอ้พระวิธิ (พระพรหมา) ณ มณฑปแห่งไตรโลกย์ สัจจะยังมั่นคงไม่คลอนแคลนอยู่หรือไม่? และไม่มีผู้ใดกีดขวางการไปสู่ทีรถะอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ณ ที่ใดเลยใช่หรือไม่?

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्खलितम्: unfaltering
• अस्खलितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्खलित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/निषेध-पूर्वपद: अ + स्खलित (unfaltering)

• कच्चित्: whether?
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-निपात

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यमण्डपे: in the pavilion of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यमण्डपे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—त्रैलोक्यस्य मण्डपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तीर्थावरोधः: obstruction of pilgrimage-sites
• तीर्थावरोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + अवरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तीर्थस्य अवरोधः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (not)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययसमास/योगः—क्व + अपि = क्वापि (anywhere)

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थे -चित्-प्रत्यय (by anyone)

• क्रियते: is done/made
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विधे: O Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: All tīrthas (universal principle) / Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva addressing Brahmā in a vast celestial pavilion; below, symbolic rivers and tīrthas flow unobstructed; a contrast vignette could show barriers dissolving under dharma’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi (Brahmā)
• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth and access to tīrthas are pillars of dharma; safeguarding sacred places preserves spiritual welfare for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas in general are defended; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa the overarching sacred geography is Kāśī, the supreme tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the implied dharmic injunction is to prevent obstruction of pilgrimage and sacred rites at tīrthas.