Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तेन ब्रह्मशिरोनाम परमास्त्रं महात्मना । उत्सृष्टं देवदेवायतेन तन्नाशितं ततः

Transliteration

tena brahmaśironāma paramāstraṃ mahātmanā | utsṛṣṭaṃ devadevāyatena tannāśitaṃ tataḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാത്മാവ് ദേവദേവനോടു വിരോധമായി ‘ബ്രഹ്മശിര’ എന്ന പരമാസ്ത്രം പ്രയോഗിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ ആ പ്രഭു തന്നേ അതിനെ ഉടൻ നശിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instr., Sg.)

• ब्रह्म-शिरः-नाम: called 'Brahmaśiras'
• ब्रह्म-शिरः-नाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ('named Brahma-head')

• परम-अस्त्रम्: the supreme missile
• परम-अस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Acc., Sg.); कर्मधारयः ('supreme weapon')

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (M., Instr., Sg.)

• उत्सृष्टम्: released
• उत्सृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सृज् (धातु) + उत् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (released/let fly)

• देव-देवाय: to the God of gods
• देव-देवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन (M., Dat., Sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('god of gods')

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instr., Sg.)

• तत्: that (weapon)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.)

• नाशितम्: destroyed
• नाशितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नश् (धातु) + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (causative PPP: 'destroyed')

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/हेतौ-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, multi-headed fiery projectile labeled Brahmaśiras streaks toward Mahādeva; Śiva stands unmoved, third eye luminous, raising a hand in a gesture that dissolves the weapon into harmless light; gods and sages watch in astonishment as the sky clears.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaśiras (astra)
• Deva-deva (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supreme power is ultimately governed by the Supreme Lord; even the greatest weapons are powerless against divine sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame, but this verse narrates a cosmic event rather than a specific tīrtha’s merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is an account of astric combat and its resolution.