Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

भगवंस्त्वामुपाश्रित्य वयं देवांश्च सानुगान् । मन्यामहे तृणैस्तुल्यान्रुद्रोपेंद्रादिकानपि

Transliteration

bhagavaṃstvāmupāśritya vayaṃ devāṃśca sānugān | manyāmahe tṛṇaistulyānrudropeṃdrādikānapi

Translation

O Seliger, auf dich gestützt, erachten wir die Götter samt ihren Gefolgen — selbst Rudra, Indra und die übrigen — nicht mehr als Grashalme.

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Blessed Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (व्यक्तिवाचक), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपाश्रित्य: having taken refuge (in)
• उपाश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप + आ + श्रि (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘having taken refuge in’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सानुगान्: with their followers
• सानुगान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अनुगैः सह = सानुग)

• मन्यामहे: we consider/think
• मन्यामहे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तृणैः: with blades of grass / as grass
• तृणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• तुल्यान्: equal (to)
• तुल्यान्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• रुद्रोपेन्द्रादिकान्: Rudra, Upendra, and others
• रुद्रोपेन्द्रादिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (रुद्र-उपेन्द्र) + ‘आदि’ (etc.)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थ (even/also)

Speaker

Andhaka (deduced from immediate narrative: Andhaka speaks to Śukra in prior verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Andhaka, eyes fierce, speaks to Śukra with confident gestures; behind him, asura warriors stand proud; in the background, faint divine silhouettes (Rudra/Indra) are shown as being dismissed—visually signaling hubris.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Śukra
• Rudra
• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without humility becomes delusion; the Purāṇas often show pride as the seed of downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding work is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though this verse is part of a mythic dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses Andhaka’s reliance on his guru and his overconfidence.