Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

त्वदाज्ञया नयामीश विनिमय्य स्वहेलया । सलोकपालमिंद्रं वा धृत्वा केशैरिहानये

Transliteration

tvadājñayā nayāmīśa vinimayya svahelayā | salokapālamiṃdraṃ vā dhṛtvā keśairihānaye

Translation

Auf Deinen Befehl, o Herr, kann ich—ganz nach Belieben wie im Spiel—selbst Indra samt den Lokapālas herbeischleppen, ihn am Haar packen und hierher bringen.

Word by Word

• त्वदाज्ञया: by your command
• त्वदाज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक) + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• नयामि: I lead/bring
• नयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 1st person, Singular)

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• विनिमय्य: having exchanged
• विनिमय्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘विनिमाय’ इत्यर्थः (having exchanged)

• स्वहेलया: by my own mere play/ease
• स्वहेलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + हेला (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• स: together with
• स: Sambandha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: सह-अर्थे अव्यय (prefix-like: with)

• लोकपालम्: the world-guardian (Lokapāla)
• लोकपालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• इन्द्रम्: Indra
• इन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• धृत्वा: having seized
• धृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) (having seized/held)

• केशैः: by the hair
• केशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आनये: let me bring
• आनये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 1st person, Singular)

Speaker

Same speaker as surrounding verses (subordinate proclaiming readiness to act under the Lord’s order; exact identity not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formidable figure, smiling in effortless play, drags Indra and the Lokapālas by the hair toward the Lord’s presence; Indra’s crown tilts, thunderbolt lowered, while the Lord remains unmoved.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Lokapāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods are depicted as subject to the Lord’s sovereignty; devotion means acting only under divine sanction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the setting of Kāśī Māhātmya, though no shrine or ghat is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.