Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यदंबुसततं रक्षेद्दुर्वृत्ताद्दंडनायकः । संभ्रमो विभ्रमश्चासौ दत्त्वा भ्रातिं गरीयसीम्

Transliteration

yadaṃbusatataṃ rakṣeddurvṛttāddaṃḍanāyakaḥ | saṃbhramo vibhramaścāsau dattvā bhrātiṃ garīyasīm

Translation

那水常由护卫之长守护，使其免受恶人侵扰；而他——萨ṃ婆罗摩（Saṃbhrama）与毗婆罗摩（Vibhrama）——又赐予它至高的光辉与尊严。

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सततम्: continuous, constant
• सततम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अम्बु’)

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दुर्वृत्तात्: from the wicked person
• दुर्वृत्तात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान (from whom)

• दण्डनायकः: the chief of punishment / magistrate
• दण्डनायकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दण्डस्य नायकः)

• सम्भ्रमः: confusion, agitation
• सम्भ्रमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्भ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विभ्रमः: delusion, error
• विभ्रमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative pronoun: that/he)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having given)

• भ्रातिम्: fear, dread
• भ्रातिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्राति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गरीयसीम्: greater, more intense
• गरीयसीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘भ्रातिम्’); comparative ‘greater’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jñānavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sacred water of Jñānavāpī is shown as constantly guarded: a chief guardian stands watch, while personified powers Saṃbhrama and Vibhrama confer a luminous dignity upon the waters, making them shine with sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃbhrama
• Vibhrama
• Jñānavāpī (implied water)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy waters are to be safeguarded and revered; protecting tīrthas from misuse is itself a dharmic act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks of the sacred ‘water’ in context—understood as the water of Jñānavāpī in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on protection and reverent custodianship of the tīrtha.