Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

वैमानिकास्तथाऽन्येपि वसुमुख्या दिवौकसः । ततो धुवात्समुत्त्रेसुः स्वाधिकारैधिताधयः

Transliteration

vaimānikāstathā'nyepi vasumukhyā divaukasaḥ | tato dhuvātsamuttresuḥ svādhikāraidhitādhayaḥ

Translation

The aerial celestials and other residents of heaven—beginning with the Vasus—then rose up and hurried from Dhruva, their minds inflamed with concern for their own prerogatives.

Word by Word

• वैमानिकाः: celestial beings (vimāna-dwellers)
• वैमानिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैमानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• वसुमुख्याः: the Vasus and other chiefs
• वसुमुख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वसवः मुख्याः)

• दिवौकसः: heaven-dwellers (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दिवि ओकः येषाम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)

• ध्रुवात्: from Dhruva
• ध्रुवात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुत्त्रेसुः: they became frightened / trembled
• समुत्त्रेसुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + त्रस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वाधिकारैधिताधयः: whose minds were inflated by their own authority
• स्वाधिकारैधिताधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + अधिकार + एधित + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वाधिकारैः एधिताः धियः येषाम्) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (narrative cause) / Dhruva-loka (narrative stage)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vimānas streak across the sky from Dhruva-loka; Vasus and other divaukasaḥ rush in a swirl, faces tense, as a distant ascetic glow pulls their attention.

Characters & Entities

• Vaimānikas
• Vasus
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to status breeds fear; dharmic tapas exposes how fragile worldly ‘rights’ and offices can be.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The overarching Kāśīkhaṇḍa glorifies Kāśī; this verse is narrative about celestial beings and Dhruva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the story’s depiction of the effects of austerity.