Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

महाबलौ महादेव्या कंदुकेन समाहतौ । परिभ्रम्य परिभ्रम्य तौ दुष्टौ विनिपेततुः

Transliteration

mahābalau mahādevyā kaṃdukena samāhatau | paribhramya paribhramya tau duṣṭau vinipetatuḥ

Translation

Those two mighty wicked ones, struck by the Great Goddess with the ball, whirled round and round and then fell down.

Word by Word

• महाबलौ: very strong (two)
• महाबलौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय: 'महद् बलं यस्य'

• महादेव्या: by the great goddess
• महादेव्या: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'महती देवी'

• कन्दुकेन: with the ball
• कन्दुकेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• समाहतौ: were struck
• समाहतौ: Karma (in passive; affected)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle) from सम्+आ+हन्; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; 'were struck'

• परिभ्रम्य: having whirled around
• परिभ्रम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial; manner)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund) from परि+भ्रम्

• परिभ्रम्य: whirling again and again
• परिभ्रम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Intensification by repetition)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति; क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन

• दुष्टौ: wicked (two)
• दुष्टौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्

• विनिपेततुः: fell down
• विनिपेततुः: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन; धातु: वि+नि+पत्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Ambikā precinct)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After being struck by Devī’s ball, the two mighty wicked ones spin repeatedly, disoriented, then crash to the ground within the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Vidala
• Utpala
• Kanduka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No matter how strong adharma appears, it collapses when confronted by the Goddess’s power; divine justice is effortless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, portrayed as protected by Mahādevī’s might.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative depiction of the demons’ defeat.