Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एतत्स्थैर्येण सर्वेषां लोकानां स्थैर्यमिष्यते । पराजयान्महेंद्रस्य त्रैलोक्यं स्यात्पराजितम्

Transliteration

etatsthairyeṇa sarveṣāṃ lokānāṃ sthairyamiṣyate | parājayānmaheṃdrasya trailokyaṃ syātparājitam

Translation

By the stability of this seat, the stability of all worlds is secured. If Mahendra were defeated, the three worlds themselves would be as though defeated.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी? actually in compound with स्थैर्येण; here as qualifier of स्थैर्येण: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (etat-sthairyeṇa)

• स्थैर्येण: by stability/steadfastness
• स्थैर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचनम्; ‘of all’

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्

• स्थैर्यम्: stability
• स्थैर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• इष्यते: is ensured/comes about
• इष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive) ‘is desired/comes to be intended’

• पराजयात्: from defeat
• पराजयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचनम्; हेतौ/अपादाने ‘from/through defeat’

• महेन्द्रस्य: of Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; महा + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; ‘महान् इन्द्रः’

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + लोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः’

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘would be’

• पराजितम्: defeated
• पराजितम्: Karta-pravacaniya (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराजि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; predicate adjective to त्रैलोक्यम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (the ‘seat’/adhiṣṭhāna referenced)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic diagram-like vision: the three worlds balanced upon a radiant sacred seat; Indra (Mahendra) stands as guardian-king, with the suggestion that his defeat would tilt the worlds into imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order depends on dharmic stability; when the rightful divine sovereignty is upheld, the worlds remain steady.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage continues the praise of a Mahendra-associated divine city/state described within the Kāśī narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse teaches the theological idea of stability (sthairya) sustaining the cosmos.