Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

स्तंभनोच्चाटनाकृष्टि वशीकर्मादिकोविदम् । व्याख्यानसमयाकृष्ट पक्षिरोमांचकारिणम्

Transliteration

staṃbhanoccāṭanākṛṣṭi vaśīkarmādikovidam | vyākhyānasamayākṛṣṭa pakṣiromāṃcakāriṇam

Translation

Il excellait en actes tels que l’immobilisation, l’éloignement, l’attraction et la subjugation ; et lorsqu’il commença son enseignement, même les oiseaux furent attirés et frémirent d’extase.

Word by Word

• स्तम्भन: paralysis, immobilization
• स्तम्भन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तम्भ् (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem-form used as compound member)

• उच्चाटन: driving away, expulsion
• उच्चाटन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चाटन (प्रातिपदिक; √चट्/√चाट् (धातु) + णिच् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• आकृष्टि: attraction, drawing
• आकृष्टि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; आ-√कृष् (धातु) + क्तिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• वशीकर्म: subjugation, enthralling
• वशीकर्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशीकर्म (प्रातिपदिक; वशी (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• आदि: and the like, etc.
• आदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; समासे ‘etc.’-अर्थे (ādi as suffix-like indeclinable)

• कोविदम्: skilled, expert
• कोविदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (acc. sg. m.)

• व्याख्यान: exposition, discourse
• व्याख्यान: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याख्यान (प्रातिपदिक; वि-आ-√ख्या (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• समय: time, occasion
• समय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• आकृष्ट: drawn, attracted
• आकृष्ट: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकृष्ट (कृदन्त; आ-√कृष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• पक्षि: bird
• पक्षि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• रोमाञ्च: horripilation, gooseflesh
• रोमाञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमाञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (compound member)

• कारिणम्: causing, producing
• कारिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + णिनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘-maker/doer’ agent-noun used adjectivally

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned sādhaka-expositor seated in Kāśī, beginning a discourse; birds gather overhead, bodies tingling with rapture, as if held by the cadence of his words.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly powers may appear impressive, yet the verse highlights the compelling force of dharmic teaching that draws even living beings toward higher attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where sacred speech and instruction are portrayed as especially potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the focus is on abilities (siddhis) and the magnetism of spiritual exposition.