Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्रे द्वे द्वे शते द्वे च योजने । योजनस्य निमेषार्धाद्याति सोपि चिरं स्थितः

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahasre dve dve śate dve ca yojane | yojanasya nimeṣārdhādyāti sopi ciraṃ sthitaḥ

Translation

Obwohl er in einem halben Lidschlag zweitausendzweihundertzwei Yojanas durchmessen kann, stand selbst er dort lange Zeit wie angehalten.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्रे: in a thousand (as a unit)
• सहस्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-आधार

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण (qualifying 'सहस्रे')

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण (qualifying 'शते')

• शते: in a hundred
• शते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण (qualifying 'योजने')

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

• योजने: in yojana(s) (as a measure)
• योजने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• योजनस्य: of a yojana
• योजनस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निमेष-अर्धात्: from/within half a blink
• निमेष-अर्धात्: Apadana (अपादान/Measure-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (half of a blink)

• याति: goes; travels
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• स्थितः: standing; remaining
• स्थितः: Kriya (क्रिया/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Vyāsa continues by context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience in frame (ṛṣis)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dynamic depiction of speed implied—streaks of light and a curved orbit—contrasted with the Sun’s chariot frozen before the barrier; numerals/measure motifs can be symbolized as concentric arcs or marked segments along the sky-path.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even immense power and speed are checked when the ordained path is blocked—teaching the necessity of removing obstacles to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames the teaching, but this verse is a cosmological description rather than a tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides a cosmological measure and narrative emphasis.