Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

उल्कापाते च भूकंपे दिग्दाहे मध्यरात्रिषु । संध्ययोर्वृषलोपांते राज्ञोराहोश्च सूतके

Transliteration

ulkāpāte ca bhūkaṃpe digdāhe madhyarātriṣu | saṃdhyayorvṛṣalopāṃte rājñorāhośca sūtake

Translation

عند سقوط الشُّهُب، وحدوث الزلازل، واحتراق الجهات؛ وفي منتصف الليل؛ وعند السَّندهيا (مفاصل اليوم)؛ وعند انقضاء الفتنة المضطربة؛ وفي أزمنة السُّوتَكا (مدة النجاسة الطقسية) بسبب وفاة الملك أو بسبب راهو—فهذه أيضًا أوقات يُمتنع فيها عن الدراسة المقدسة.

Word by Word

• उल्कापाते: at a meteor-fall
• उल्कापाते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्का (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उल्कायाः पातः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भूकम्पे: during an earthquake
• भूकम्पे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + कम्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भूः कम्पः)

• दिग्दाहे: when the quarters are burning (conflagration)
• दिग्दाहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक) + दाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिशां दाहः)

• मध्यरात्रिषु: at midnights
• मध्यरात्रिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रात्रेः मध्ये)

• संध्ययोः: of the two twilights (morning and evening)
• संध्ययोः: Adhikaraṇa (Time relation/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• वृषलोपान्ते: in the vicinity of a śūdra/outcaste
• वृषलोपान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषल (प्रातिपदिक) + उपान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृषलस्य उपान्ते)

• राज्ञोः: of two kings
• राज्ञोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• राहोः: of Rāhu (eclipse)
• राहोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सूतके: during impurity (birth/death pollution)
• सूतके: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic-liminal montage: eclipse shadow over Gaṅgā, meteors streaking, tremoring earth, distant fires on horizons; a priest pauses recitation at sandhyā, holding a water vessel for ācamana.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
• Rāhu
• Anadhyāya (implied continuation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic and social disruptions mark times for restraint; dharma includes sensitivity to sacred time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s discipline code for Kāśī, not a single tīrtha eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates further anadhyāya/inauspicious periods: meteors, earthquakes, midnight, sandhyā times, and sūtaka linked to a king’s death or to Rāhu.