Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

गर्जत्कादंबिनीजालं व्योम्नि वै व्याकुलं यथा । वृथा भवति संप्राप्य मनागनिललोलताम्

Transliteration

garjatkādaṃbinījālaṃ vyomni vai vyākulaṃ yathā | vṛthā bhavati saṃprāpya manāganilalolatām

Translation

ആകാശത്തിലെ ഗർജ്ജിക്കുന്ന മേഘസമൂഹം അല്പമായ കാറ്റിന്റെ ചലനം ലഭിച്ചാൽ വ്യാകുലമായി ചിതറി വ്യർത്ഥമാകുന്നതുപോലെ, അവരുടെ കലക്കവും ഫലമില്ലാതെ വ്യർത്ഥമായി।

Word by Word

• garjat: thundering
• garjat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; adjectival participle qualifying "kādambinījālam"

• kādambinī-jālam: a mass/net of clouds
• kādambinī-jālam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kādambinī (प्रातिपदिक) + jāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कादंबिन्याः जालम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• vyomni: in the sky
• vyomni: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• vyākulam: agitated, disturbed
• vyākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; agrees with "kādambinījālam"

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Upamāna-marker (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• vṛthā: in vain, fruitlessly
• vṛthā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• saṃprāpya: having attained
• saṃprāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + √prāp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• manāk: slightly
• manāk: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: manāk (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: slightly)

• anila-lolatām: wavering due to wind; wind-tossed state
• anila-lolatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anila (प्रातिपदिक) + lolatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अनिलस्य लोलता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

Speaker

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

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija (addressed as ‘O twice-born’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast canopy of thunderous monsoon clouds roars across the sky, then breaks apart into scattered wisps as a light wind ripples through—symbolizing the sudden futility of tumult.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva (implied)
• Bhūtāvalī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic intimidation collapses quickly; even a small movement of divine order can disperse great-looking threats.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse is a didactic comparison, not a site-glorification line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it functions as an illustrative teaching within the narrative.