Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततस्त्रिशूलहेतिस्तमायांतं दैत्यपुंगवम् । विज्ञायावध्यमन्येन शूलेनाभिजघान तम्

Transliteration

tatastriśūlahetistamāyāṃtaṃ daityapuṃgavam | vijñāyāvadhyamanyena śūlenābhijaghāna tam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ത്രിശൂലായുധധാരി, ആ ദൈത്യശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ മറ്റെങ്ങനെങ്കിലും അവധ്യനെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, മുന്നേ വരുന്ന അവനെ മറ്റൊരു ശൂലത്തോടെ പ്രഹരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — 'then/from there'

• त्रिशूलहेतिः: the trident-weaponed (one)
• त्रिशूलहेतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक) + हेति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'one whose weapon is a trident / trident-weaponed (goddess)'

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'him'

• आयान्तम्: approaching
• आयान्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ+या (धातु) → आयान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'coming/approaching' (qualifying तम्)

• दैत्यपुङ्गवम्: the foremost of demons
• दैत्यपुङ्गवम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'chief/bull among demons'

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) — 'having known'

• अवध्यम्: unslayable
• अवध्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'unslayable' (qualifying तम्)

• अन्येन: with another
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — 'with another'

• शूलेन: with a spear/trident
• शूलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — 'with a spear/trident'

• अभिजघान: struck
• अभिजघान: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'struck/slew'

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'him'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The trident-weapon bearer confronts the advancing demon; realizing ordinary means cannot kill him, he strikes with a different spear—depicting decisive, dharmic ingenuity and overwhelming divine force.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Triśūla-holder)
• Gajāsura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine wisdom overcomes even boon-based invincibility; dharma is protected through appropriate, discerning means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The action unfolds within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, emphasizing Śiva’s protective presence over the sacred kṣetra rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates Śiva’s decisive intervention.