Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गर्जत्कादंबिनीजालं व्योम्नि वै व्याकुलं यथा । वृथा भवति संप्राप्य मनागनिललोलताम्

Transliteration

garjatkādaṃbinījālaṃ vyomni vai vyākulaṃ yathā | vṛthā bhavati saṃprāpya manāganilalolatām

Translation

كما أن كتلةً هادرةً من سحب العاصفة في السماء تتبدّد وتؤول إلى العدم إذا لاقتها أدنى تمايلٍ للريح، كذلك كان اضطرابهم عبثًا لا ثمرة له.

Word by Word

• garjat: thundering
• garjat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; adjectival participle qualifying "kādambinījālam"

• kādambinī-jālam: a mass/net of clouds
• kādambinī-jālam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kādambinī (प्रातिपदिक) + jāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कादंबिन्याः जालम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• vyomni: in the sky
• vyomni: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• vyākulam: agitated, disturbed
• vyākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; agrees with "kādambinījālam"

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Upamāna-marker (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• vṛthā: in vain, fruitlessly
• vṛthā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• saṃprāpya: having attained
• saṃprāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + √prāp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• manāk: slightly
• manāk: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: manāk (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: slightly)

• anila-lolatām: wavering due to wind; wind-tossed state
• anila-lolatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anila (प्रातिपदिक) + lolatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अनिलस्य लोलता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija (addressed as ‘O twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast canopy of thunderous monsoon clouds roars across the sky, then breaks apart into scattered wisps as a light wind ripples through—symbolizing the sudden futility of tumult.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva (implied)
• Bhūtāvalī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic intimidation collapses quickly; even a small movement of divine order can disperse great-looking threats.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse is a didactic comparison, not a site-glorification line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as an illustrative teaching within the narrative.