Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मांडभांडमथवा स्फोटयामः क्षणेन हि । आस्फालयामो वान्योन्यं कालं मृत्युं च तालवत्

Transliteration

brahmāṃḍabhāṃḍamathavā sphoṭayāmaḥ kṣaṇena hi | āsphālayāmo vānyonyaṃ kālaṃ mṛtyuṃ ca tālavat

Translation

«أو نستطيع أن نحطّم إناء الكون في لحظة؛ ونقهر حتى الزمان والموت، نُصفِّقهما ونطردهما كما تُصفَّق مروحةٌ من سعف النخل.»

Word by Word

• brahmāṇḍa-bhāṇḍam: the vessel of the universe (cosmic egg as a pot)
• brahmāṇḍa-bhāṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्माण्डस्य भाण्डम्)

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• sphoṭayāmaḥ: we burst/shatter
• sphoṭayāmaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sphoṭ (स्फोट्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘cause to burst’)

• kṣaṇena: in an instant
• kṣaṇena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• āsphālayāmaḥ: we strike/slap
• āsphālayāmaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sphal/√sphāl (स्फाल्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to slap/strike’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• anyonyam: mutually; each other
• anyonyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परस्परार्थक-अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• kālam: Time (as a deity)
• kālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mṛtyum: Death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tālavat: like a palm-leaf/fan; as with a tāla
• tālavat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्) (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (simile adverb), -वत् प्रत्ययान्त (like/as)

Speaker

Gaṇas/Pramathas (quoted speech within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas declare they can shatter the cosmic egg and slap away Time and Death like a palm-leaf fan; personified Kāla and Mṛtyu recoil before Rudra’s aura over Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāṇḍa
• Kāla
• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The boast highlights delusion: only the Supreme Lord truly transcends Time and Death; attendants must remain grounded in devotion and Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered Mahātmya, where liberation and victory over death are key themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.