Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तदारभ्य च लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विजराजोधिपोभवत् । दिशोवितिमिराः कुर्वन्निजैः प्रसृमरैः करैः

Transliteration

tadārabhya ca loke'smindvijarājodhipobhavat | diśovitimirāḥ kurvannijaiḥ prasṛmaraiḥ karaiḥ

Translation

അന്നുമുതൽ ഈ ലോകത്തിൽ ചന്ദ്രൻ ‘ദ്വിജരാജൻ’ ആയി അധിപനായിത്തീർന്നു; തന്റെ ദൂരവ്യാപകമായ കിരണങ്ങളാൽ ദിക്കുകളെ അന്ധകാരരഹിതമാക്കി।

Word by Word

• तद्-आरभ्य: from then on
• तद्-आरभ्य: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आरभ्य (कृदन्त; √रभ् (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive used adverbially) ‘from that time onward’

• च: and
• च: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th) एकवचनम्

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• द्विजराज-अधिपः: the lord of the king of birds (i.e., the Moon)
• द्विजराज-अधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजराज (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + राज) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी) ‘द्विजराजस्य अधिपः’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd) एकवचनम्

• दिशः: the directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्

• वितिमिराः: free from darkness
• वितिमिराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (दिशः); अर्थः ‘तिमिर-रहिताः’

• कुर्वन्: making, rendering
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (present active participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) एकवचनम्; कर्तरि; (द्विजराजाधिपः)

• निजैः: with his own
• निजैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (करैः)

• प्रसृमरैः: spreading, extending
• प्रसृमरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसृमर (प्रातिपदिक; √सृ (धातु) + प्र + सृमर-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (करैः); अर्थः ‘विस्तरन्त/प्रसरणशील’

• करैः: with (his) rays/hands
• करैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator within Kāśīkhaṇḍa (deduced: Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa addressee (‘dvija’) within the narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candra, empowered, spreads rays across the sky; the directions brighten, darkness recedes, and the world appears calm and ordered under moonlight.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace restores cosmic order: the Moon’s sovereignty and light symbolize renewed dharma and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kāśī, since the Moon’s transformation follows the Kāśīkhaṇḍa episode tied to Vaiśveśvara/Candreśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse describes the result of Śiva’s boon in cosmic terms.