Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

रसालशालमुकुलं वीक्ष्यते यच्छरद्यदः । महाकालभयं मन्येप्यकालेपि पुरौकसाम्

Transliteration

rasālaśālamukulaṃ vīkṣyate yaccharadyadaḥ | mahākālabhayaṃ manyepyakālepi puraukasām

Translation

When mango and śāla trees are seen budding as though it were autumn, even out of season, I deem it the terror of Mahākāla—a dread that falls upon the city-dwellers at an untimely hour.

Word by Word

• रसालशालमुकुलम्: the bud/cluster of the mango tree
• रसालशालमुकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसाल + शाल + मुकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः) ‘रसालशालस्य मुकुलम्’

• वीक्ष्यते: is seen
• वीक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) ‘is seen’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• शरद्: in autumn
• शरद्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-एकवचन (शरदि) अर्थे; छन्दसि/पाठभेदेन रूप-लोपः सम्भवः

• यदः: water
• यदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘water’ (rare/vedic)

• महाकालभयम्: fear of Mahākāla
• महाकालभयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महाकालस्य भयम्)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) = ‘even/also’

• अकाले: at an untimely time
• अकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• पुरौकसाम्: of the city-dwellers
• पुरौकसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (पुरे ओकः यस्य/पुरे वसति) = towns-dwellers

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mango and śāla branches show fresh buds in an impossible season; townspeople look up uneasily. A shadowy, symbolic presence of Mahākāla (time) is suggested through dark clouds, a looming trident silhouette, or a clock-like sun.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Untimely signs in nature point to the supremacy of Kāla (Time) and remind residents to take refuge in dharma and the Lord who rules time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse operates within Kāśī’s sacred narrative; Mahākāla is invoked as the divine principle presiding over time and fear.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it frames a mood of warning and reverence.