Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रस्य पूर्वदिग्भागं रक्षंती विघ्नसंघतः । लसत्सहस्रदोर्दंडां ज्वलत्केकरवीक्षणाम्

Transliteration

kṣetrasya pūrvadigbhāgaṃ rakṣaṃtī vighnasaṃghataḥ | lasatsahasradordaṃḍāṃ jvalatkekaravīkṣaṇām

Translation

وہ مقدّس کھیتر کے مشرقی حصّے کی نگہبانی کرتی ہے، رکاوٹوں کے جھنڈ کو چکناچور کرنے والی—جس کے ہزاروں بازو دمکتے ہیں اور جس کی نگاہ شعلہ زن ہے۔

Word by Word

• kṣetrasya: of the sacred area/field
• kṣetrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• pūrva-dik-bhāgam: the eastern portion/direction-part
• pūrva-dik-bhāgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva-dik-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + दिक् + भाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः’

• rakṣantī: protecting
• rakṣantī: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रक्षन्ती’ = protecting

• vighna-saṃghataḥ: a host/mass of obstacles (demons)
• vighna-saṃghataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna-saṃghata (प्रातिपदिक; विघ्न + संघात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विघ्नानां संघातः’

• lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍām: having shining thousand arm-staffs (many arms)
• lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lasat-sahasra-dor-daṇḍā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; लसत् + सहस्र + दोर् + दण्डा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लसन्ति सहस्रं दोर्दण्डाः यस्याः’ (describing a goddess/being)

• jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇām: with blazing, squinting/side-glancing eyes
• jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalat-kekara-vīkṣaṇā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; ज्वलत् + केकर + वीक्षणा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘ज्वलत् केकरं वीक्षणं यस्याः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, many-armed Devī stands at the eastern boundary of Kāśī-kṣetra, surrounded by a host that crushes obstacles; her eyes blaze like fire, and her arms shimmer like a thousand pillars of light, forming a protective wall for the sacred field.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Guardian Devī
• Pūrvadik (East)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography is not merely physical—Kāśī is envisioned as a living, protected dharma-field guarded by divine forces that remove impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider Kāśī-kṣetra is described, specifically its eastern quarter under divine protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, honoring the kṣetra-guardians for obstacle-removal; no explicit snāna/dāna/japa is stated in this verse.