Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

आ वैराजं प्रतिपदमुपसंहरते हरः । का कथा मशकाभानां नृणां मरणधर्मिणाम्

Transliteration

ā vairājaṃ pratipadamupasaṃharate haraḥ | kā kathā maśakābhānāṃ nṛṇāṃ maraṇadharmiṇām

Translation

Selbst bis hin zum Virāja zieht Hara alles Schritt für Schritt zurück. Was ist da erst von den Menschen zu sagen—mückenhaft zerbrechlich—deren Wesen Sterblichkeit ist?

Word by Word

• आ: up to; as far as
• आ: Sambandha (relation/limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/निपात (particle/prefix), अर्थः—आ-पर्यन्तम् (up to, as far as)

• वैराजम्: the Virāja (cosmic form/realm)
• वैराजम्: Karma (object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• प्रतिपदम्: step by step; at every step
• प्रतिपदम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• उपसंहरते: withdraws; draws back
• उपसंहरते: Kriyā (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सम्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• का: what? which?
• का: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• कथा: talk; account; story
• कथा: Karta (subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मशकाभानाम्: of those resembling mosquitoes
• मशकाभानाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मशक + आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुषसमास (मशक-आभ = mosquito-like); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• मरणधर्मिणाम्: of those whose nature is death; mortal
• मरणधर्मिणाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण + धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (मरणस्य धर्मः यस्य = having death as nature); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast cosmic tableau: Hara as Mahākāla withdraws worlds in stages up to Virāja; below, tiny human figures likened to gnats hover near a lamp, emphasizing fragility against the cosmic night.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Virāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s power of dissolution reveals the fragility of embodied life; awareness of death urges dharma and spiritual urgency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting; Kāśī is the overarching liberating field where reflection on death leads to higher realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an exhortation through contemplation of mortality.