Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मलब्धवरश्चायं तृणीकृतजगत्त्रयः । अवध्योहं भवामीति स्त्रीपुंसैः कामनिर्जितैः

Transliteration

brahmalabdhavaraścāyaṃ tṛṇīkṛtajagattrayaḥ | avadhyohaṃ bhavāmīti strīpuṃsaiḥ kāmanirjitaiḥ

Translation

Ayant reçu une grâce de Brahmā, il tient les trois mondes pour de la paille, se disant : « Je suis invincible, nul ne peut me tuer » ; mais il est vaincu par le désir, parmi femmes et hommes tout autant.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्म: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of Brahmā' (in compound)

• लब्धवरः: having obtained a boon
• लब्धवरः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (कृदन्त, √लभ् धातु) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'having obtained a boon'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'this (one)'

• तृणीकृत: having made (it) like straw
• तृणीकृत: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृणीकृत (कृदन्त, √कृ धातु; नामधातु-भाव 'to make into straw')
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'having made (as) straw' (in compound)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (in compound) — 'world'

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (in compound) — 'three'

• अवध्यः: invulnerable
• अवध्यः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'not to be slain'

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'I'

• भवामि: I am/become
• भवामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'I become/am'

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• स्त्रीपुंसैः: by women and men
• स्त्रीपुंसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — 'by women and men'

• कामनिर्जितैः: conquered by desire
• कामनिर्जितैः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्जित (कृदन्त, √जि धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — 'by those conquered by desire' (qualifying स्त्रीपुंसैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon, crowned by Brahmā’s boon, stands contemptuously over symbolic representations of the three worlds (as straw), while desire personified ensnares him—hinting at imminent downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gajāsura
• Three worlds (jagat-traya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boons without humility become fuel for arrogance; desire (kāma) and pride distort judgment and invite ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is moral-narrative within Kāśī-khaṇḍa; it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse critiques the demon’s mindset and passion.