Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

उपोपविश्य पक्षींद्रस्तस्य यंत्रस्य निर्भयः । क्षणं विचारयामास किमत्र करवाण्यहो

Transliteration

upopaviśya pakṣīṃdrastasya yaṃtrasya nirbhayaḥ | kṣaṇaṃ vicārayāmāsa kimatra karavāṇyaho

Translation

Da setzte sich der König der Vögel furchtlos nahe bei jenem Gerät nieder und sann einen Augenblick nach: „Ach—was vermag ich hier zu tun?“

Word by Word

• उपोपविश्य: having sat down nearby
• उपोपविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) absolutive; उप + उप + विश् → उपोपविश्य = ‘having sat down near’

• पक्षीन्द्रः: the lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• पक्षीन्द्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पक्षिणाम् इन्द्रः

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• यन्त्रस्य: of the mechanism/device
• यन्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• निर्भयः: fearless
• निर्भयः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पक्षीन्द्रस्य)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालावधि-अर्थे

• विचारयामास: pondered, considered
• विचारयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिप्रश्न/भूतार्थे), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘विचारयामास’ = he began to consider/pondered

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• करवाणि: should I do
• करवाणि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-सम्भाव्य (आत्मनेपद), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘what should I do’ अर्थे (विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगः)

• अहो: alas!/indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादि-निपात (exclamatory particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis in Naimiṣāraṇya (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king of birds (Garuḍa) lands and sits calmly near the whirling contrivance, unafraid, eyes narrowed in contemplation, wings folded, the spinning device still menacing beside him.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Vainateya)
• Yaṃtra (divine mechanism)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True strength includes thoughtful pause; even the mighty must reflect when facing dharmically guarded boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework (glory of Vārāṇasī), though this verse focuses on Garuḍa’s dilemma rather than a local tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative moment of deliberation.