Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अपि वैकुंठनाथश्चेत्तत्साहाय्यं करिष्यति । तदा तं कुंठितास्त्रं च करिष्यामि त्वदाज्ञया

Transliteration

api vaikuṃṭhanāthaścettatsāhāyyaṃ kariṣyati | tadā taṃ kuṃṭhitāstraṃ ca kariṣyāmi tvadājñayā

Translation

Selbst wenn der Herr von Vaikuṇṭha ihm zu Hilfe käme, werde ich doch auf Deinen Befehl jene Waffenmacht abstumpfen und unwirksam machen.

Word by Word

• अपि: even if, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• वैकुण्ठनाथः: Vaikuṇṭha’s Lord (Viṣṇu)
• वैकुण्ठनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ + नाथ (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साहाय्यम्-विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; that)

• साहाय्यम्: help, assistance
• साहाय्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Future, 3rd person, Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• कुण्ठितास्त्रम्: a blunted weapon / weapon made ineffective
• कुण्ठितास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ठित + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• करिष्यामि: I will do/make
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Future, 1st person, Singular)

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

Speaker

Same speaker as surrounding verses (asserting power under Śaiva authority; exact identity not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic confrontation tableau: the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha appears with conch-disc-mace, yet a devotee/gaṇa declares he will blunt the weapon-power by the Lord’s command; the scene emphasizes command over conflict.

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭhanātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic rhetoric emphasizes the supremacy of the presiding Lord of the narrative and the decisive power of divine command over all aids and alliances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography, but the verse itself is not a tirtha-glorification line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.