Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अस्या आनयने कोयं महायत्नविधिः प्रभो । कोऽस्मान्प्रलयकालाग्निमहाज्वालावलीसमान्

Transliteration

asyā ānayane koyaṃ mahāyatnavidhiḥ prabho | ko'smānpralayakālāgnimahājvālāvalīsamān

Translation

Ô Seigneur, quel besoin d’un si grand effort et de moyens si compliqués pour l’amener ? Qui pourrait nous tenir tête, nous qui sommes pareils aux puissantes gerbes de feu au temps de la dissolution ?

Word by Word

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• आनयने: in/for the bringing (of her)
• आनयने: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-नी (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → आनयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन (singular); भाववाचक कृदन्त-नाम (action noun: bringing)

• कः: who? / what?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• अयम्: this (one/thing)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• महायत्नविधिः: a method requiring great effort
• महायत्नविधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + यत्न + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः महा-यत्नस्य विधिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/त्रिलिङ्ग (common), द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम

• प्रलयकालाग्निमहाज्वालावलीसमान्: equal to the great mass of flames of the fire at the time of dissolution
• प्रलयकालाग्निमहाज्वालावलीसमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रलय + काल + अग्नि + महा + ज्वाला + आवली + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषणम्; समासः प्रलयकालस्य अग्निः (तत्पुरुष) + महाज्वालावली (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + समान (उपमान-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Daityas (continuing their reply; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker likens his forces to the blazing fires of dissolution, dismissing any resistance; the court scene is charged with fiery metaphors and looming catastrophe.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Pralaya-agni (cosmic dissolution fire)
• Vindhyavāsinī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boasting of power is portrayed as spiritual blindness; cosmic metaphors underscore how ego inflates itself against the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the verse uses a cosmic simile rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.