Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

एतान्वरान्प्रगृह्याऽथ तत्क्षणात्कालभैरवः । वामांगुलिनखाग्रेण चकर्त च शिरो विधेः

Transliteration

etānvarānpragṛhyā'tha tatkṣaṇātkālabhairavaḥ | vāmāṃgulinakhāgreṇa cakarta ca śiro vidheḥ

Translation

Ayant accepté ces grâces, Kālabhairava, à l’instant même, du bout de l’ongle de son doigt gauche, trancha la tête de Vidhātṛ (Brahmā).

Word by Word

• etān: these
• etān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘वरान्’ इति विशेषण

• varān: boons
• varān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• pragṛhya: having accepted
• pragṛhya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having accepted/taken’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/प्रारम्भक (then/now)

• tatkṣaṇāt: immediately; from that moment
• tatkṣaṇāt: Apādāna (Immediate point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat-kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• kālabhairavaḥ: Kālabhairava
• kālabhairavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla-bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय (कालसम्बन्धी भैरवः)

• vāma: left
• vāma: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अङ्गुलि’ इति विशेषण (left)

• aṅguli: finger
• aṅguli: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅguli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘-नखाग्रेण’ इत्यनेन सह करण-निर्देशे

• nakha: nail
• nakha: Sambandha (Genitive in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नखाग्र’ इति समासे पूर्वपद

• agreṇa: with the tip
• agreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नखाग्रेण’ = नखस्य अग्रेण

• cakarta: cut off
• cakarta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛt (धातु; छेदने)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vidheḥ: of Brahmā (the Creator)
• vidheḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhātṛ/vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विधेः’ = ब्रह्मणः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Bhairava-kṣetra guardianship)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Kāśī-māhātmya (traditionally sages/disciples)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālabhairava, blazing with wrathful compassion, lifts his left hand; with the nail-tip he severs Brahmā’s fifth head in a single instant; gods recoil while the cosmic order steadies behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhairava
• Brahmā (Vidhātr̥)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse dramatizes Bhairava’s irresistible divine authority, reinforcing Śaiva supremacy within the Kāśī māhātmya framework.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī indirectly, as the broader section establishes Bhairava’s role as Kāśī’s ordained guardian.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the mythic act that leads to later vrata themes (kapāla/kāpālika context).