Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अहोनाहस्कराभावान्निशानैवाऽनिशाकरात् । अस्तंगतर्क्षान्नभसः कः कालस्त्वेप नेक्ष्यते

Transliteration

ahonāhaskarābhāvānniśānaivā'niśākarāt | astaṃgatarkṣānnabhasaḥ kaḥ kālastvepa nekṣyate

Translation

അയ്യോ! സൂര്യനില്ലാത്തതിനാൽ പകലെന്നതേയില്ല; ചന്ദ്രനില്ലാതെ രാത്രിയും രാത്രിയല്ല. നക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അസ്തമിച്ചപ്പോൾ, ഇവിടെ കാലത്തിന്റെ ഏതു ലക്ഷണം കാണപ്പെടും?

Word by Word

• अहः: day
• अहः: Karta (Subject in comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• आहस्कराभावात्: because of the absence of the sun
• आहस्कराभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहस्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आहस्करस्य अभावः), पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• निशा: night
• निशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• अनिशाकरात्: because (it is) without the moon
• अनिशाकरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिशाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘निशाकरः (चन्द्रः) न यस्य’ = चन्द्ररहितः; तस्मात् (पञ्चमी 5th), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause)

• अस्तंगतर्क्षात्: because the stars have set
• अस्तंगतर्क्षात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्तंगत (अस्+गम् धातु → क्त) + ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः ‘अस्तंगतानि ऋक्षाणि यस्मिन्/यतः’; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ

• नभसः: of the sky
• नभसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• कः: what?/which?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वर्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• एप: this (one)
• एप: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्राकृत/वैदिक-रूप ‘एप’ = ‘एष’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संकेतार्थक

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात

• ईक्ष्यते: is seen/perceived
• ईक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (lament/observation within Vyāsa’s narration by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Other inhabitants/elders (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sky without sun and without moon—only fading constellations sinking below the horizon; people look upward in alarm, unable to tell day from night.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Candra (Moon)
• Constellations (ṛkṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time and duty are perceived through cosmic signs; when order collapses, dharmic life becomes unmoored—hence restoration of order is sacred work.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame glorifies Kāśī overall, but this verse concerns universal time-signs rather than a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly, though the verse implies disruption of kala (proper ritual timing).