Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

दीक्षितो योश्वमेधानां शतस्य कुलिशायुधः । दुर्वाससा क्षणेनापि नीतो निःश्रीकतां हि सः

Transliteration

dīkṣito yośvamedhānāṃ śatasya kuliśāyudhaḥ | durvāsasā kṣaṇenāpi nīto niḥśrīkatāṃ hi saḥ

Translation

金剛（雷霆）の武器を携え、百のアシュヴァメーダにために灌頂された者も——ドゥルヴァーサスによって、ほんの一瞬にして栄光を失う境地へと導かれたのである。

Word by Word

• dīkṣitaḥ: initiated/consecrated
• dīkṣitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘दीक्षित’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• aśvamedhānām: of horse-sacrifices
• aśvamedhānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśvamedha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• śatasya: of a hundred
• śatasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• kuliśa-āyudhaḥ: he whose weapon is the thunderbolt
• kuliśa-āyudhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Epithet/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuliśa (प्रातिपदिक) + āyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: ‘कुलिशम् आयुधं यस्य सः’

• durvāsasā: by Durvāsas
• durvāsasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• kṣaṇena: in a moment
• kṣaṇena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: even/also)

• nītaḥ: was led/brought
• nītaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• niḥśrīkatām: to poverty/ill-fortune
• niḥśrīkatām: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niḥśrīkatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Dadhīci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience / interlocutor in Kāśī narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (vajrāyudha-bearing) in royal consecration imagery for grand Aśvamedhas, suddenly dimmed—his aura fading—while Durvāsas stands stern, ascetic, with blazing eyes; the contrast of opulence and ascetic power is central.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Durvāsas
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual achievements alone do not guarantee lasting prosperity; arrogance and offense can swiftly destroy even divine splendor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s teaching-context: the narrative is used to correct misconceptions about auspiciousness and spiritual power associated with the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference to Aśvamedha-dīkṣā (consecration for horse-sacrifices), illustrating ritual magnitude rather than prescribing it.