Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

इदमाख्यानमाकर्ण्य गच्छन्देशांतरं नरः । चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैर्नाभिभूयेत कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

idamākhyānamākarṇya gacchandeśāṃtaraṃ naraḥ | coravyāghrapiśācādyairnābhibhūyeta kutracit

Translation

Ang taong nakarinig sa banal na salaysay na ito, kahit maglakbay sa ibang lupain, ay saanman ay hindi napapanaig ng mga magnanakaw, tigre, piśāca, at iba pa.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आख्यानम्)

• आख्यानम्: narrative
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having listened/heard)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः)

• देशान्तरम्: to another country/region
• देशान्तरम्: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (देशस्य अन्तरम् = another region)

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैः: by thieves, tigers, goblins, etc.
• चोरव्याघ्रपिशाचाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चोर (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चोर-व्याघ्र-पिशाच-आदयः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अभिभूयेत: would be overpowered
• अभिभूयेत: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-māhātmya (as protective śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / Agastya contextually

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler on a forest road remembers the sacred account; thieves hide, a tiger turns away, and eerie piśāca forms vanish as a luminous protective aura surrounds the pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Cora (thieves)
• Vyāghra (tiger)
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic listening to sacred lore is portrayed as a protective merit that accompanies a devotee beyond the shrine—into daily life and travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred source of the narrative; its māhātmya is said to protect devotees even outside Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) to the ākhyāna; no additional rite is specified.