Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

योगिन्यो विकटावाक्यात्खेचर्यस्ताः क्षणेन तम् । निन्युर्गगनमार्गेण ब्राह्म्याद्या यत्र मातरः

Transliteration

yoginyo vikaṭāvākyātkhecaryastāḥ kṣaṇena tam | ninyurgaganamārgeṇa brāhmyādyā yatra mātaraḥ

Translation

Auf Vikaṭās Geheiß trugen jene Yoginīs, die durch den Himmel wandeln, ihn sogleich auf dem Luftweg dorthin, wo die Mütter, beginnend mit Brāhmī, wohnen.

Word by Word

• योगिन्यः: the yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• विकटा: of Vikaṭā
• विकटा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (विकटायाः)

• वाक्यात्: from the command/words
• वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• खेचर्यः: sky-going (female beings)
• खेचर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; योगिन्यः इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ताः: they
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कालवाचक (instrumental of time)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• निन्युः: carried/led
• निन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• गगन: sky
• गगन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• मार्गेण: by the path/route
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; गमनमार्ग (means/route)

• ब्राह्मी: Brāhmī
• ब्राह्मी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपद (ब्राह्म्याद्याः)

• आद्याः: and others, beginning with
• आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मातरः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• मातरः: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator voice (deductively: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛkā-sthāna (Brāhmī-ādi Mātaraḥ) in Kāśī’s subtle mandala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yoginīs as khecarīs lift the infant and streak across the night sky along a luminous aerial path toward a radiant assembly of Mātṛkās—Brāhmī foremost—seated in a celestial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Vikaṭā Devī
• Yoginīs (Khecarīs)
• Brāhmī
• Mātṛkās (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one takes refuge in Śakti, protective forces respond swiftly—depicting Kāśī as a realm of immediate divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues from Vikaṭā’s pīṭha (Pañcamudrā Mahāpīṭha); this verse emphasizes the Mātṛkā realm led by Brāhmī rather than a separate named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes the Yoginīs’ protective transport under the Goddess’s command.