Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

भूतावली तमालोक्य स्फुरच्चक्रसुदर्शनम् । ज्वालामालाकुलं तीव्रं रक्षंतं परितो ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

bhūtāvalī tamālokya sphuraccakrasudarśanam | jvālāmālākulaṃ tīvraṃ rakṣaṃtaṃ parito dhruvam

Translation

ജ്വാലാമാലകളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞ, ഉഗ്രമായി മിന്നുന്ന സുദർശനചക്രം ധ്രുവനെ എല്ലാടവും അചഞ്ചലമായി കാക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ഭൂതസംഘം ഭീതിയിലായി।

Word by Word

• भूतावली: the host of spirits
• भूतावली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आवली (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आवली)

• तम्: that (discus)/it
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• स्फुरच्चक्रसुदर्शनम्: the flashing Sudarśana discus
• स्फुरच्चक्रसुदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्फुरत् (कृदन्त) + चक्र + सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारयः—‘स्फुरत् चक्रं (यत्) सुदर्शनम्’

• ज्वालामालाकुलम्: filled with a garland of flames
• ज्वालामालाकुलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to चक्र)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला + माला + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—‘ज्वालामालया आकुलम्’ (filled with garlands of flames)

• तीव्रम्: fierce
• तीव्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्षन्तम्: protecting
• रक्षन्तम्: Visheshana (Participial to चक्र)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘protecting’

• परितः: around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘around’

• ध्रुवम्: surely; steadily
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे अपि (certainly/steadily)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The bhūta-host beholds Sudarśana flashing with intense flames, forming a constant guard around Dhruva; their faces show alarm and hesitation at the fiery boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtāvalī
• Sudarśana Cakra
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfastness in dharma draws a protective spiritual perimeter; negativity cannot breach the fire of divine guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context celebrates Kāśī; this specific verse is narrative and does not name a distinct tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the focus is on the protective fruit of tapas and devotion.