Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मरुत्तरंगिताग्राभिः पताकाभिरितस्ततः । सन्निवारयतीवेत्थमघौघान्विशतो मुने

Transliteration

maruttaraṃgitāgrābhiḥ patākābhiritastataḥ | sannivārayatīvetthamaghaughānviśato mune

Translation

四面旌旗，旗端随风翻扬；噢牟尼啊，它仿佛以此阻遏欲入的罪业洪流。

Word by Word

• मरुत्-तरङ्गित-अग्राभिः: by banners whose tips were waved by the wind
• मरुत्-तरङ्गित-अग्राभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तरङ्गित (कृदन्त; √रङ्ग्/तरङ्ग) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘मरुत्-तरङ्गितानि अग्राणि यासाम्’ (पताकानां विशेषण)

• पताकाभिः: with flags/banners
• पताकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• इतस्: from here/this side
• इतस्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक (adverb: from here/this side)

• ततः: from there/then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• सन्निवारयति: wards off
• सन्निवारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + नि + वृत्/वृ (धातु; causative sense)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘to ward off/keep back’

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक

• एत्थम्: thus/in this manner
• एत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• अघ-ओघान्: masses of sins
• अघ-ओघान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘अघानाम् ओघाः’ = ‘streams/masses of sin’

• विशतः: of the entering (person)
• विशतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘विशत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of one who enters’

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana precincts (Kāśī)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maitrāvaruṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Wind-tossed banners on all sides of the shrine, their fluttering tips forming a protective ring, as if preventing torrents of sin from entering.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya (listener implied)
• Marut (wind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy spaces are portrayed as intrinsically purifying—protecting devotees by repelling pāpa (sin) through their sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the description of the sacred divine precinct introduced in Adhyāya 26 (context of Viraja/Triviṣṭapa narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on the inherent protective purity of the sacred locale.