Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तुहुंडहुंडादिकजंभजंभविपाकपाकादि महासुरेंद्राः । यमालयादद्य पुनर्निवृत्ता विद्रावयंतः प्रमथाश्चरंति

Transliteration

tuhuṃḍahuṃḍādikajaṃbhajaṃbhavipākapākādi mahāsureṃdrāḥ | yamālayādadya punarnivṛttā vidrāvayaṃtaḥ pramathāścaraṃti

Translation

തുഹുണ്ട, ഹുണ്ട, ജംഭ, വിപാക, പാക മുതലായ മഹാദൈത്യേന്ദ്രന്മാർ ഇന്ന് യമാലയത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മടങ്ങിവന്ന്, പ്രമഥന്മാരെ ഭീതിപ്പെടുത്തി ഓടിച്ചുവിട്ട് എല്ലാടവും സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तुहुंडहुंडादिकजंभजंभविपाकपाकादि: (those) like Tuhuṇḍa, Huṇḍa, Jambha, etc., and (their) ripenings/transformations etc.
• तुहुंडहुंडादिकजंभजंभविपाकपाकादि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुहुंड + हुंड + आदि + जंभ + जंभ + विपाक + पाक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; समासः—बहूनां नाम्नां समाहार-द्वन्द्वः; विशेषणरूपेण ‘महासुरेन्द्राः’ इति पदस्य

• महासुरेंद्राः: the great lords of the demons
• महासुरेंद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासुरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘महान् असुराणाम् इन्द्रः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• यमालयात्: from Yama’s abode
• यमालयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचनम्; ‘यमस्य आलयः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: again)

• निवृत्ताः: returned/turned back
• निवृत्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि√वृत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle—क्त); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘महासुरेन्द्राः’ इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

• विद्रावयन्तः: driving away, causing to flee
• विद्रावयन्तः: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि√द्रु (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्तः (present active participle—शतृ); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘महासुरेन्द्राः’ इति कर्तृपदस्य सहवर्ती क्रिया

• प्रमथाः: the Pramathas (Shiva’s attendants)
• प्रमथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• चरन्ति: move about/wander
• चरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Nandī (speaking to Śiva within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark battlefield near the luminous aura of Kāśī: towering asura-kings (Tuhuṃḍa, Huṃḍa, Jambha, Vipāka, Pāka) emerge as if from Yama’s realm, while terrified pramathas scatter in disarray under a stormy sky.

Characters & Entities

• Tuhuṃḍa
• Huṃḍa
• Jambha
• Vipāka
• Pāka
• Yama
• Pramathas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When death itself is overcome by adharmic means, only the supreme Lord can restore cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though the verse itself is battlefield reportage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.