Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दंभोलि शूलासिपरश्वधानामुद्दंडचक्रोपल कंपनानाम् । नंदीश्वरस्योपरि दानवेद्रा वर्षं ववर्षुर्जलदा इवोग्रम्

Transliteration

daṃbholi śūlāsiparaśvadhānāmuddaṃḍacakropala kaṃpanānām | naṃdīśvarasyopari dānavedrā varṣaṃ vavarṣurjaladā ivogram

Translation

وعلى نَنْديشڤرا أمطر سادةُ الشياطين مطرًا رهيبًا: صواعق، ورماحًا ثلاثية، وسيوفًا، وفؤوسًا، وأقراصًا عظيمة، وصخورًا وكتلًا مهتزّة، كالسحب العاصفة تصبّ وابلًا مخيفًا.

Word by Word

• daṃbholi-śūla-asi-paraśvadhānām-uddaṇḍa-cakra-upala-kampanānām: of thunderbolts, spears, swords, axes, clubs, discs, stones, and missiles
• daṃbholi-śūla-asi-paraśvadhānām-uddaṇḍa-cakra-upala-kampanānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃbholi (प्रातिपदिक) + śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक) + paraśvadha (प्रातिपदिक) + uddaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + upala (प्रातिपदिक) + kampana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (शस्त्र-समूहः) षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे—‘(एतेषाम्) …’

• naṃdīśvarasya: of Nandīśvara
• naṃdīśvarasya: Adhikaraṇa (Reference/locative sense via ‘upari’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• upari: upon, over
• upari: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (preposition/adverb)

• dānava-indrāḥ: lords of the Dānavas
• dānava-indrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘दानवानाम् इन्द्राः’

• varṣam: a shower, rain
• varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• vavarṣuḥ: rained down
• vavarṣuḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• jaladāḥ: clouds
• jaladāḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; उपमा-प्रयोगे उपमानम्

• iva: like
• iva: Upamādyotaka (Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्ययम्

• ugram: fierce, terrible
• ugram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; varṣam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Above Nandīśvara, demon-lords hurl a dense rain of weapons—tridents, swords, axes, discs, rocks—forming a dark canopy like storm-clouds; impacts spark and dust rises.

Characters & Entities

• Nandīśvara
• Dānava
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may hurl overwhelming force, but steadfast devotion to Śiva and alignment with dharma endure even under ‘weapon-storms’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame; the verse itself praises Śiva’s attendant Nandī rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is martial narration.