Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

काली कुमारी यं स्वप्ने बद्नीयाद्बाहु पाशकैः । स मासेन समीक्षेत नगरींशमनोषिताम्

Transliteration

kālī kumārī yaṃ svapne badnīyādbāhu pāśakaiḥ | sa māsena samīkṣeta nagarīṃśamanoṣitām

Translation

若梦中有一黑色处女、宛如迦梨，以绳索缚其双臂，则一月之内便将见到阎摩（Śamana）所居之城；即抵达阎摩之界。

Word by Word

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुमारी: a maiden/virgin girl
• कुमारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काली इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बद्नीयात्: should bind
• बद्नीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• बाहु: arm
• बाहु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (arm-)

• पाशकैः: with nooses/ropes
• पाशकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मासेन: within a month / by a month
• मासेन: Karana (Means/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; काल-परिमाणे तृतीया (within/by a month)

• समीक्षेत: should behold/see
• समीक्षेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• नगरीम्: a city
• नगरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शमनोषिताम्: inhabited by Yama (the god of death)
• शमनोषिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शमन-उषित (प्रातिपदिक; शमन + उषित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'शमने उषिता' इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः; उषित = वस (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (dwelt/inhabited)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-mahātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce dark maiden, Kālī-like, appears in the dream and binds the dreamer’s arms with nooses; beyond her, the gates of Saṃyamanī (Yama’s city) loom, while a faint Śiva-liṅga light suggests the path of release.

Characters & Entities

• Śamana (Yama)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death can come swiftly; therefore, one should not postpone turning to Śiva and dharma, especially through the saving sanctuary of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though Yama’s city is mentioned, the surrounding Kāśīkhaṇḍa context glorifies Kāśī as the place where fear of Yama is overcome through Viśveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified in this verse; it is a time-bound omen (one month) intended to prompt immediate spiritual recourse.