Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अकांडेपि महाभागान्मिलितान्सप्तनीरधीन् । चित्रं विपद्विनिर्मग्नानुद्दिधीर्षूनिव प्रजाः

Transliteration

akāṃḍepi mahābhāgānmilitānsaptanīradhīn | citraṃ vipadvinirmagnānuddidhīrṣūniva prajāḥ

Translation

Wunderbarerweise hatten sich jene Hochbegnadeten selbst ohne vorherigen Anlass versammelt—als ob sieben Ozeane zusammenströmten—und sie schienen die in Not versunkenen Wesen emporheben zu wollen.

Word by Word

• अकाण्डे: at an untimely moment
• अकाण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (indeclinable; even/also)

• महाभागान्: greatly fortunate/noble
• महाभागान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + भागिन्/भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• मिलितान्: assembled
• मिलितान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (P.P.P.); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सप्तनीरधीन्: (vast) like seven oceans
• सप्तनीरधीन्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + नीरधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नीरधि = समुद्र)

• चित्रम्: strangely
• चित्रम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचनम् (used adverbially; ‘wonderfully/strangely’)

• विपद्-विनिर्मग्नान्: sunk in calamity
• विपद्-विनिर्मग्नान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपद् + वि + निर् + मग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (P.P.P.) ‘विनिर्मग्न’; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• उद्दिधीर्षून्: wishing to lift up/rescue
• उद्दिधीर्षून्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + धृ (धातु)
• Form: सन्-प्रत्ययान्त इच्छार्थक (desiderative) वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त-रूपम्; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय

• प्रजाः: the people
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object of implied comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन (Plural); उपमानम् (object of comparison)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Saptarṣis appear gathered without prior occasion, likened to seven oceans meeting; their faces show compassionate intent, as if ready to lift drowning beings from disaster.

Characters & Entities

• Saptarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saints appear as protectors in times of distress; their compassion functions like a saving force for those overwhelmed by suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.