Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अनीय तृणदारूणि परिस्तीर्य समंततः । दावाग्निं ज्वालयामास काचिद्वात्याविवर्धितम्

Transliteration

anīya tṛṇadārūṇi paristīrya samaṃtataḥ | dāvāgniṃ jvālayāmāsa kācidvātyāvivardhitam

Translation

Membawa rumput dan serpihan kayu lalu menghamparkannya ke segala arah, yang lain menyalakan api rimba, berkobar dahsyat dikipasi angin berputar.

Word by Word

• ānīya: having brought
• ānīya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; धातु: √nī (ने) उपसर्ग: ā

• tṛṇa-dārūṇi: grass and pieces of wood
• tṛṇa-dārūṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dāru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (itaretara-dvandva)

• paristīrya: having spread (around)
• paristīrya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√stṝ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया; धातु: √stṝ (स्तृ) उपसर्ग: pari

• samantataḥ: on all sides, all around
• samantataḥ: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• dāvāgnim: the forest-fire
• dāvāgnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāvāgni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dāva-agnī: ‘forest’ + ‘fire’)

• jvālayāmāsa: kindled, caused to blaze
• jvālayāmāsa: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jval (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• kācit: a certain (woman)
• kācit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite pronoun)

• vātyā-vivardhitam: fanned/increased by a whirlwind
• vātyā-vivardhitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective of dāvāgnim)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vātyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vi-√vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/ppp) ‘vivardhita’; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (instrumental): ‘vātyayā vivardhitam’ = ‘increased by the whirlwind’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure spreads dry grass and splinters in a ring and ignites them; a sudden whirlwind drives the flames into a roaring, circular forest-fire, casting red light and smoke across the sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Dāvāgni (forest fire)
• Vātyā (whirlwind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even overwhelming ‘fires’ of fear can be staged by illusion; the pilgrim is urged to remain anchored in dharma and divine remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a sacred zone where transformative trials are narrated to magnify the city’s spiritual stature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a descriptive episode.