Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

सा क्षणं त्र्यक्षरमणी वीक्ष्य दक्षसभांगणम् । नभोंऽगणाद्विमानस्थानतो वेगादवातरत्

Transliteration

sā kṣaṇaṃ tryakṣaramaṇī vīkṣya dakṣasabhāṃgaṇam | nabhoṃ'gaṇādvimānasthānato vegādavātarat

Translation

Ia—Tryakṣara-maṇī—sejenak memandang pelataran sidang Dakṣa; lalu dari kedudukannya di vimāna, ia turun cepat melalui hamparan langit terbuka dan mendarat.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (accusative of duration)

• त्र्यक्षरमणी: the jewel of the three-syllabled (mantra)
• त्र्यक्षरमणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अक्षर + मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (त्र्य्-अक्षर = त्रि-अक्षर; ‘three-syllabled’; मणी = jewel)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (√वीक्ष् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having looked at

• दक्षसभाङ्गणम्: the courtyard of Dakṣa’s assembly hall
• दक्षसभाङ्गणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष + सभा + अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दक्षस्य सभायाः अङ्गणम्)

• नभोऽङ्गणात्: from the expanse of the sky
• नभोऽङ्गणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् + अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नभसः अङ्गणात्)

• विमानस्थानतः: from the position of the vimāna
• विमानस्थानतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘-तः’ प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial): from the place of the vimāna

• वेगात्: due to speed; swiftly
• वेगात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

• अवातरात्: she descended
• अवातरात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + तॄ (√तॄ धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣa-sabhā (mythic assembly site)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tryakṣara-maṇī Devī pauses in the sky, looking down at Dakṣa’s grand courtyard filled with pillars and sacrificial/royal paraphernalia; then she descends rapidly from her vimāna, landing with controlled force as attendants hover above.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣara-maṇī (epithet of the Goddess)
• Dakṣa
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess moves with sovereign freedom—yet pauses to witness dharma’s stage, signaling discernment before action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene is Dakṣa’s sacrificial arena (yajña context), not a Kāśī tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse sets the narrative moment before entering the sacrifice.