Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गिरींद्रगुरुवर्ष्माणः शस्त्रास्त्रोद्यतपाणयः । दिगंतं ते परिप्राप्तास्तदुच्छ्वासानिलाहताः

Transliteration

girīṃdraguruvarṣmāṇaḥ śastrāstrodyatapāṇayaḥ | digaṃtaṃ te pariprāptāstaducchvāsānilāhatāḥ

Translation

അവരുടെ ശരീരങ്ങൾ മഹാപർവ്വതങ്ങളെപ്പോലെ ഭീമം; കൈകളിൽ ശസ്ത്രാസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ഉയർത്തി ദിഗന്തത്തോളം പാഞ്ഞെത്തിയെങ്കിലും, അവളുടെ ശ്വാസവായുവാൽ പ്രഹരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു പിന്നോട്ട് തള്ളപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• गिरीन्द्रगुरुवर्ष्माणः: having bodies huge like mountain-lords
• गिरीन्द्रगुरुवर्ष्माणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गिरीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (गिरीन्द्रवत् गुरु वर्ष्म येषाम्) विशेषणम् (ते)

• शस्त्रास्त्रोद्यतपाणयः: with hands raised holding weapons and missiles
• शस्त्रास्त्रोद्यतपाणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उद्-यम् धातु) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शस्त्र-अस्त्रैः उद्यताः पाणयः येषाम्) विशेषणम् (ते)

• दिगन्तम्: the end of the directions; horizon
• दिगन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिशाम् अन्तः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• परिप्राप्ताः: having reached
• परिप्राप्ताः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययवत् निर्देश (correlative ‘that’)

• उच्छ्वासानिलाहताः: struck by the wind of her breath
• उच्छ्वासानिलाहताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छ्वास (प्रातिपदिक) + अनिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-हन् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उच्छ्वासस्य अनिलेन आहताः) विशेषणम् (ते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda narrating to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (implied kṣetra-field)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Colossal, mountain-like daityas surge with raised weapons toward the horizon’s edge; a visible gale—born from the heroine’s breath—slams into them, bending banners, hurling bodies backward, turning aggression into helpless flight.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas (implied)
• Kālarātri (implied by context: 'her breath')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power (śakti) need not rely on conventional weapons; even a mere breath can overturn arrogant force, affirming dharma’s supremacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred frame; the verse highlights supernatural protection operating within the Kāśī-kṣetra narrative world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of divine might in battle.