Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

भालं विभूतिधवलं विलोक्य यमकिंकराः । पापिनोपि पलायंते भीताः पाशुपतास्त्रतः

Transliteration

bhālaṃ vibhūtidhavalaṃ vilokya yamakiṃkarāḥ | pāpinopi palāyaṃte bhītāḥ pāśupatāstrataḥ

Translation

见到额头以圣灰（vibhūti）涂白，阎摩的使者便逃遁——连罪人也一样——惊惧如同遭受帕舒帕塔神兵所击。

Word by Word

• भालम्: forehead
• भालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• विभूतिधवलम्: white with vibhūti (ash)
• विभूतिधवलम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + धवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विभूत्या धवलम्) विशेषण (भालम्)

• विलोक्य: having seen
• विलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + √लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having seen’

• यमकिंकराः: servants of Yama
• यमकिंकराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य किंकराः)

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even’

• पलायन्ते: flee
• पलायन्ते: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पलाय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भीताः: frightened
• भीताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त, √भी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) विशेषण (यमकिंकराः/पापिनः)

• पाशुपतास्त्रतः: from fear of the Pāśupata weapon
• पाशुपतास्त्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from’; तत्पुरुष-आधार (पाशुपतम् अस्त्रम्)

Speaker

Tapasvī/Muni (unnamed)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee’s forehead gleams white with ash; Yama’s dark, fearsome attendants recoil and flee as if struck by the invisible force of the Pāśupata weapon.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamakiṅkara (Yama’s attendants)
• Pāśupatāstra
• Vibhūti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional Śaiva marks symbolize allegiance to Śiva and are depicted as overpowering fear of death and punitive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting frames this as part of the local tīrtha-mahātmya where Śaiva grace is especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintaining the vibhūti mark on the forehead for protection (especially from Yamakiṅkaras).