Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

अकालविद्युत्स्तनिते वर्षर्तौ पांसुवर्षणे । महावातध्वनौ रात्रावनध्यायाः प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

akālavidyutstanite varṣartau pāṃsuvarṣaṇe | mahāvātadhvanau rātrāvanadhyāyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

അകാല മിന്നലും ഇടിയും ഉണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ, വർഷകാലത്ത്, പൊടിമഴ പെയ്യുമ്പോൾ, കൂടാതെ രാത്രിയിൽ മഹാവാതത്തിന്റെ ഗർജ്ജനത്തിനിടയിൽ—ഇവയെല്ലാം അനധ്യായകാലങ്ങളായി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अकालविद्युत्स्तनिते: at untimely thunder with lightning
• अकालविद्युत्स्तनिते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तनित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तन् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अकाले विद्युतः स्तनितम्)

• वर्षर्तौ: in the rainy season
• वर्षर्तौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वर्षस्य ऋतौ)

• पांसुवर्षणे: during a dust-storm (dust-rain)
• पांसुवर्षणे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्षण (प्रातिपदिक; √वृष् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पांसोः वर्षणम्)

• महावातध्वनौ: when there is the sound of a great wind
• महावातध्वनौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + वात (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महतो वातस्य ध्वनिः)

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अनध्यायाः: periods of non-study
• अनध्यायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are declared
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (are proclaimed)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic student in Kāśī closes his manuscript as lightning flashes; wind bends trees; dust swirls over ghats; he turns inward to silent prayer.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
• Anadhyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred study is protected by observing proper times; discipline includes knowing when to pause.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma framework rather than a specific tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists anadhyāya conditions—events and times when Vedic study should be suspended.