Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

सावज्ञमथसर्वज्ञं यावत्पश्यति दानवः । तावदायांतमादाय कक्षायंत्रे न्यपीडयत्

Transliteration

sāvajñamathasarvajñaṃ yāvatpaśyati dānavaḥ | tāvadāyāṃtamādāya kakṣāyaṃtre nyapīḍayat

Translation

Dann blickte der Dämon verächtlich auf den allwissenden Herrn, packte Ihn beim Nahen und presste Ihn in einem einschnürenden Griff, wie in einem Schraubstock um die Hüfte.

Word by Word

• सावज्ञम्: contemptuously
• सावज्ञम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अवज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (with contempt)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• सर्वज्ञम्: the omniscient (Śiva)
• सर्वज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (omniscient one)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् समुच्चय (as long as)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दानवः: the demon
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तावत्: then, so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत् समुच्चय (then/so long)

• आयान्तम्: approaching
• आयान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√या (धातु) शतृ-प्रत्यय (present participle)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg. agreeing with object)

• आदाय: having seized
• आदाय: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); (having seized/taken)

• कक्षायन्त्रे: in the armpit-press (armpit hold)
• कक्षायन्त्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्षा-यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कक्षायाः यन्त्रे)

• न्यपीडयत्: crushed, pressed down
• न्यपीडयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon, scorning the omniscient Lord, grabs Śiva as He approaches and crushes Him in a powerful waist-binding vice, displaying audacious hostility.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Sarvajña)
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespect toward the divine leads to reckless aggression; such pride becomes the cause of the aggressor’s ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where even violent threats are ultimately subdued by Śiva’s authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates the demon’s hostile act as part of the mahātmya storyline.