Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तया तु षष्टिहायिन्या पीडिताः प्राणिनोऽखिलाः । केचिदंबुधितीरेषु गिरिद्रोणीषु केचन

Transliteration

tayā tu ṣaṣṭihāyinyā pīḍitāḥ prāṇino'khilāḥ | kecidaṃbudhitīreṣu giridroṇīṣu kecana

Translation

সেই ষাট বছরব্যাপী অনাবৃষ্টিতে সকল প্রাণী কষ্ট পেল। কেউ সমুদ্রতীরে থাকল, আর কেউ পাহাড়ের উপত্যকায়।

Word by Word

• तया: by that (drought)
• तया: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-बोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• षष्टिहायिन्या: (lasting) sixty years
• षष्टिहायिन्या: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्टि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + हायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (षष्टिः हायनानि यस्याः/या = of sixty years)

• पीडिताः: afflicted
• पीडिताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अखिलाः: all/entire
• अखिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• अम्बुधितीरेषु: on the seashores
• अम्बुधितीरेषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुधि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (अम्बुधेः तीरम् = seashore)

• गिरिद्रोणीषु: in mountain valleys
• गिरिद्रोणीषु: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गिरेः द्रोणी = mountain valley)

• केचन: others (some)
• केचन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic scene of drought refugees: gaunt humans and animals moving toward the sea; others descending into greenish mountain ravines where a trickle of water remains; the sky harsh and pale.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Ocean (Ambudhi)
• Mountains (Giri)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma-supporting order falters, beings scatter in search of survival—hinting that true refuge is ultimately spiritual, not merely geographical.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes widespread displacement prior to the Avimukta/Kāśī-centered resolution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive narrative.