Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

महाकालपताकाग्रैः स्पृष्टपृष्ठास्तुरंगमाः । अरुणस्य कशाघातं क्षणं विश्रमयंति खे

Transliteration

mahākālapatākāgraiḥ spṛṣṭapṛṣṭhāsturaṃgamāḥ | aruṇasya kaśāghātaṃ kṣaṇaṃ viśramayaṃti khe

Translation

മഹാകാലന്റെ പതാകകളുടെ അഗ്രം സ്പർശിച്ച പിൻഭാഗമുള്ള കുതിരകൾ, അരുണന്റെ ചാട്ടക്കൊടിയുടെ അടികളിൽ നിന്ന് ക്ഷണകാലം ആകാശത്തിൽ വിശ്രമം നേടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• महाकालपताकाग्रैः: by the tips of Mahākāla's banners
• महाकालपताकाग्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल- पताका- अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (महाकालस्य पताकायाः अग्रैः)

• स्पृष्टपृष्ठाः: whose backs are touched
• स्पृष्टपृष्ठाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृष्ट- पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्पृष्टं पृष्ठं येषाम्)

• तुरंगमाः: horses
• तुरंगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुरंगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अरुणस्य: of Aruṇa
• अरुणस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कशाघातम्: the lash-stroke (whip-blow)
• कशाघातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कशा-आघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कशायाः आघातः)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणार्थे (accusative of duration)

• विश्रमयन्ति: make (it) rest/relax
• विश्रमयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; causative sense ‘cause to rest/relax’

• खे: in the sky
• खे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: High temple banners of Mahākāla flutter; celestial horses in mid-sky brush the banner tips and pause, relieved from Aruṇa’s whip; the sky is painted as a divine roadway above Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Patākā (banners)
• Aruṇa
• Turaṅgama (horses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s majesty is so great that even cosmic forces are poetically shown as pausing in its presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sacred precinct, symbolized by its banners (patākā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a praise passage using celestial imagery to magnify the kṣetra.