Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा तिग्मतेजस्कं ज्वालाततदिगंतरम् । ज्वलद्दावानलं शैलमिव बिभ्युर्दिवौकसः

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā tigmatejaskaṃ jvālātatadigaṃtaram | jvaladdāvānalaṃ śailamiva bibhyurdivaukasaḥ

Translation

തീക്ഷ്ണ തേജസ്സോടെ ജ്വലിച്ച്, ജ്വാലകൾ ദിക്കുകളുടെ അറ്റംവരെ പടർന്ന അവനെ കണ്ടു ദിവൗകസർ വിറച്ചു—കാട്ടുതീ പൊതിഞ്ഞ ഒരു പർവ്വതം കണ്ടതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having seen’

• तिग्म-तेजसम्: of sharp/brilliant radiance
• तिग्म-तेजसम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिग्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्वाला-आतत-दिक्-अन्तरम्: whose flames were spread across the quarters
• ज्वाला-आतत-दिक्-अन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + आतत (आ-तन् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (ज्वालाभिः आततं दिगन्तरं यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्वलत्-दाव-अनलम्: a blazing forest-fire
• ज्वलत्-दाव-अनलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलत् (ज्वल् धातु + शतृ) + दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (ज्वलन् दावानलः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शैलम्: a mountain
• शैलम्: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• बिभ्युः: feared
• बिभ्युः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (दिवि ओकः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda in Kāśī-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa appears as a blazing, sharp-radiant presence; flames seem to reach the horizons; devas tremble as if seeing a mountain engulfed by forest-fire.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Divaukasaḥ (celestials)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tejas (spiritual might) inspires awe and restraint; even heavenly powers recognize a higher force when dharma’s momentum manifests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of this khaṇḍa, but the verse is a celestial scene without a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.