Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ज्योतींषि न प्रदीप्यंति तद्भयाकुलितान्यहो । दिग्वधूवसनन्यासन्विच्छायानि समंततः

Transliteration

jyotīṃṣi na pradīpyaṃti tadbhayākulitānyaho | digvadhūvasananyāsanvicchāyāni samaṃtataḥ

Translation

Die Lichter leuchteten nicht — weh! — von Furcht vor ihm aufgewühlt; und ringsum schienen die Himmelsrichtungen ihres Glanzes entkleidet, als hätten die Bräute der Richtungen ihre Gewänder abgelegt.

Word by Word

• ज्योतींषि: lights
• ज्योतींषि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• प्रदीप्यन्ति: shine / are kindled
• प्रदीप्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दीप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तद्-भय-आकुलितानि: agitated by fear of that
• तद्-भय-आकुलितानि: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुलित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्योतींषि); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (तद्भयेन आकुलितानि)

• अहो: alas! / oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection)

• दिक्-वधू-वसन-न्यास-विच्छायानि: the faded appearances of the garments laid down by the maidens of the quarters (directions)
• दिक्-वधू-वसन-न्यास-विच्छायानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + वधू (प्रातिपदिक) + वसन (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + विच्छाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (दिग्वधूनां वसनन्यासस्य विच्छायानि)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: all around)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A city plunged into uncanny dimness: lamps refusing to catch, stars veiled; the four directions personified as dik-vadhūs, their garments (radiance) removed—quarters appear pale and colorless around Kāśī’s temples.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Directions (Diśas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma prevails, clarity and auspiciousness fade; divine protection restores light and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context frames the teaching within Kāśī’s sacred narrative, but no particular tīrtha is singled out here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.