Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

मनःपवनवेगेन भ्रममाणं महारयम् । अपिस्पृशंतं मशकं यत्खंडयति कोटिशः

Transliteration

manaḥpavanavegena bhramamāṇaṃ mahārayam | apispṛśaṃtaṃ maśakaṃ yatkhaṃḍayati koṭiśaḥ

Translation

It whirled with the speed of mind and wind, driven by tremendous force—so fearsome that it could shatter into millions even a mosquito that merely drew near, without even touching it.

Word by Word

• मनःपवनवेगेन: by the speed of the mind-like wind
• मनःपवनवेगेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पवन (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—मनः-पवन-वेग (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश-तत्पुरुष), ‘मनःसदृशस्य पवनस्य वेगः’ इति

• भ्रममाणम्: revolving, moving in circles
• भ्रममाणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भ्रमन्/भ्रममाण’ = revolving

• महारयम्: great speed / great momentum
• महारयम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महान् रयः (महावेगः)

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

• स्पृशन्तम्: touching
• स्पृशन्तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘touching’

• मशकम्: a mosquito
• मशकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यत्: which (thing)
• यत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम

• खण्डयति: breaks, shatters
• खण्डयति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खण्ड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कोटिशः: into crores (countless pieces)
• कोटिशः: Adverbial (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय; ‘कोटि-शस्’ = कोटि-प्रकारेण/बहुधा

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying, rapidly spinning divine contrivance (yantra) whirls like mind-and-wind, its aura shredding even a tiny insect that nears it; the space trembles with kinetic force.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Vainateya)
• Pīyūṣa/Amṛta (context)
• Devas (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine ordinances can be unimaginably powerful; human or even heroic effort must be joined with higher grace and right discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī-Māhātmya context), though this verse itself describes the cosmic defense around amṛta rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive (of a protective mechanism) rather than prescriptive (vrata/dāna/snānajapa).