Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कस्मात्त्वमागतो भद्र प्रभावः कीदृशस्तव । वज्रलेपस्तु काश्यां वै दग्धस्ते दर्शनादनु

Transliteration

kasmāttvamāgato bhadra prabhāvaḥ kīdṛśastava | vajralepastu kāśyāṃ vai dagdhaste darśanādanu

Translation

“ท่านมาจากที่ใด โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐ และฤทธานุภาพของท่านเป็นเช่นไร? ที่กาศี ‘วัชรเลปะ’ นั้นแท้จริงถูกเผาผลาญไปภายหลังได้ทัศนะของท่าน”

Word by Word

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — interrogative ablative

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 2nd person pronoun

• आगतः: come
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ+√गम् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'come'

• भद्र: O good one
• भद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — संबोधन-पद

• प्रभावः: power/effect
• प्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कीदृशः: what kind (of)
• कीदृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — interrogative adjective

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive pronoun

• वज्र: thunderbolt/diamond
• वज्र: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• लेपः: hard coating/plaster
• लेपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — subject; समासः: वज्र-लेप (तत्पुरुष)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त; √दह् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — agrees with वज्रलेपः

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — enclitic genitive/dative form; here genitive 'your'

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative

• अनु: thereupon/after
• अनु: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (postposition-like), 'after/along/thereupon'

Speaker

Rākṣasa (questioning Kṛṣṇa’s pāṃthika/pilgrim)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (referenced) / Dvārakā (implied source of power)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The rākṣasa, now curious rather than hostile, questions the pilgrim about his origin and power; behind them, a faint vision of Kāśī’s ghāṭs and lamps appears as a narrative flashback, with a symbolic ‘burning away’ of a hard crust.

Characters & Entities

• Rākṣasa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Vajra-lepa
• Pāṃthika
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A devotee’s sanctity—rooted in divine connection—can destroy even severe spiritual afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is explicitly mentioned, while the broader narrative praises Dvārakā and Kṛṣṇa-centered pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights darśana as a vehicle of purification.