Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा तिग्मतेजस्कं ज्वालाततदिगंतरम् । ज्वलद्दावानलं शैलमिव बिभ्युर्दिवौकसः

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā tigmatejaskaṃ jvālātatadigaṃtaram | jvaladdāvānalaṃ śailamiva bibhyurdivaukasaḥ

Translation

Le voyant flamboyer d’un éclat tranchant, ses flammes s’étendant jusqu’aux confins de l’horizon, les habitants du ciel tremblèrent, comme s’ils voyaient une montagne ceinte d’un incendie de forêt déchaîné.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that (form)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having seen’

• तिग्म-तेजसम्: of sharp/brilliant radiance
• तिग्म-तेजसम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्वाला-आतत-दिक्-अन्तरम्: whose flames were spread across the quarters
• ज्वाला-आतत-दिक्-अन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + आतत (आ-तन् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (ज्वालाभिः आततं दिगन्तरं यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्वलत्-दाव-अनलम्: a blazing forest-fire
• ज्वलत्-दाव-अनलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलत् (ज्वल् धातु + शतृ) + दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (ज्वलन् दावानलः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शैलम्: a mountain
• शैलम्: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• बिभ्युः: feared
• बिभ्युः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (दिवि ओकः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda in Kāśī-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa appears as a blazing, sharp-radiant presence; flames seem to reach the horizons; devas tremble as if seeing a mountain engulfed by forest-fire.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Divaukasaḥ (celestials)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tejas (spiritual might) inspires awe and restraint; even heavenly powers recognize a higher force when dharma’s momentum manifests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of this khaṇḍa, but the verse is a celestial scene without a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.