Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स्वस्य त्रिशूलघातेन म्रियते नान्यथा रणे । जगत्पर्याकुलीकृत्य निद्रात्यत्रविनिर्भयः

Transliteration

svasya triśūlaghātena mriyate nānyathā raṇe | jagatparyākulīkṛtya nidrātyatravinirbhayaḥ

Translation

Im Kampf kann er nur durch den Schlag seines eigenen Dreizacks getötet werden, nicht anders. Nachdem er die Welt in Aufruhr versetzt hat, schläft er hier furchtlos.

Word by Word

• स्वस्य: of his own
• स्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one’s own/of him’

• त्रिशूलघातेन: by the blow of a trident
• त्रिशूलघातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/रीति-अर्थे (otherwise)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पर्याकुलीकृत्य: having thrown into turmoil
• पर्याकुलीकृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + आकुली + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having made (it) utterly agitated’

• निद्राति: sleeps
• निद्राति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √निद्रा/√द्रा (धातु; निद्रायते इत्यर्थे)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘sleeps’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विनिर्भयः: fearless
• विनिर्भयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaṃkālaketu, after shaking the world, lies sleeping fearlessly in a lair near the sacred city; his trident is prominent, hinting that it alone can end him.

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃkālaketu (implied)
• Triśūla (trident)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boons and power misused for world-disturbance still contain a dhārmic ‘key’ for correction—evil is not beyond remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the verse functions within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative arc that supports Kāśī’s protective sacred fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it states the condition of the demon’s defeat (only by his own trident).