Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

स्रस्तांबरं विच्युतभूषणं च विमुक्तकेशं बलिना गृहीतम् । विमोचयिष्यंत इवानुजग्मुः सुरारयः सिंहरवान्सृजंतः

Transliteration

srastāṃbaraṃ vicyutabhūṣaṇaṃ ca vimuktakeśaṃ balinā gṛhītam | vimocayiṣyaṃta ivānujagmuḥ surārayaḥ siṃharavānsṛjaṃtaḥ

Translation

力ある者に捕らえられ、衣は乱れ、飾りは外れ、髪はほどけたその姿を見て、神々の敵は、救い出さんとするかのように後を追い、獅子のごとく咆え立てた。

Word by Word

• srasta-ambaram: with loosened garments
• srasta-ambaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: srasta (प्रातिपदिक) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—‘स्रस्तम् अम्बरं यस्य’ (बहुधा बहुव्रीह्यर्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते), gṛhītam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• vicyuta-bhūṣaṇam: with ornaments fallen off
• vicyuta-bhūṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + cyut (धातु) (कृदन्त) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘विच्युतानि भूषणानि यस्य’ (अर्थतः बहुव्रीहिवत्), gṛhītam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• vimukta-keśam: with loosened hair
• vimukta-keśam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + muc (धातु) (कृदन्त) + keśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘विमुक्ताः केशाः यस्य’, gṛhītam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• balinā: by the strong one
• balinā: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrument/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• gṛhītam: seized
• gṛhītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकृदन्तः/कर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘seized/captured’

• vimocayiṣyantaḥ: (as if) they would free
• vimocayiṣyantaḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + muc (धातु) + ṇic (णिजन्त)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; वर्तमान-प्रत्ययान्त रूपेण ‘they will release’ (पाठे ‘-ṣyaṃta’ इति लेखनम्)

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamādyotaka (Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)

• anujagmuḥ: followed
• anujagmuḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• sura-arayaḥ: enemies of the gods
• sura-arayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘सुराणाम् अरयः’

• siṃha-ravān: with lion-like roars
• siṃha-ravān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + rava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—‘सिंहवत् रवः येषाम्’; surārayaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sṛjantaḥ: uttering
• sṛjantaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तः (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘uttering/letting out’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra, dishevelled and stripped of composure, is carried away; behind him the asura ranks surge forward, mouths open in lion-like roars, weapons raised, dust clouds rising.

Characters & Entities

• Asuras (surārayaḥ)
• Śukra (implied as the seized one)
• Nandī (implied as balinā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When ego-driven forces lose their guide, they respond with noise and aggression—yet such fury does not equal true strength rooted in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī’s sacred geography), but this verse does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive battle-following scene.