Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

काश्यां तु वज्रलेपो हि क्षेत्र एकत्र नश्यति । यातुर्दर्शनतः श्रुत्वा दिलीपो वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

kāśyāṃ tu vajralepo hi kṣetra ekatra naśyati | yāturdarśanataḥ śrutvā dilīpo vākyamabravīt

Translation

Tại Kāśī, quả thật thứ “vajralepa” ghê gớm ấy bị tiêu diệt ngay trong một thánh địa duy nhất. Nghe lời thuật lại của một lữ khách, vua Dilīpa liền cất lời như sau.

Word by Word

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वज्रलेपः: the vajra-coating (hard crust)
• वज्रलेपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र-लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• क्षेत्रे: in (a) sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• एकत्र: in one place
• एकत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: in one place)

• नश्यति: perishes/disappears
• नश्यति: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यातुः: of the demon (yātu)
• यातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• दर्शनतः: from/at the sight (of it)
• दर्शनतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• दिलीपः: Dilīpa
• दिलीपः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (introducing Dilīpa’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler describes Kāśī to King Dilīpa; in a visionary inset, Kāśī appears with Gaṅgā ghāṭs and a Śiva shrine, where a dark, armor-like ‘vajralepa’ crust breaks and falls away from a sufferer upon entering the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Vajralepa
• Dilīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain kṣetras are described as uniquely potent for the destruction of deep-rooted sin, inspiring seekers to inquire about the highest places of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is singled out as a kṣetra where ‘vajralepa’ is destroyed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse highlights testimonial knowledge (hearing a traveler’s account) as prompting dharmic inquiry.