Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मांडमप्यकांडेन तद्भयेन समाकुलम् । दृष्ट्वा भगवती क्रुद्धा त्रिशूलेन जघान तम्

Transliteration

brahmāṃḍamapyakāṃḍena tadbhayena samākulam | dṛṣṭvā bhagavatī kruddhā triśūlena jaghāna tam

Translation

അവന്റെ ഭയത്താൽ അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായി കലങ്ങിയ ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡത്തെയും കണ്ട ഭഗവതി ദേവി ക്രുദ്ധയായി, ത്രിശൂലംകൊണ്ട് അവനെ പ്രഹരിച്ചു വീഴ്ത്തി।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the universe (Brahmā’s egg)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः अण्डम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• अकाण्डेन: suddenly, unexpectedly (by a sudden event)
• अकाण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'अकाण्ड' = sudden/unseasonable event

• तद्भयेन: from fear of him/that
• तद्भयेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तस्य भयम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• समाकुलम्: agitated, confused
• समाकुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ब्रह्माण्डम् इति विशेषण

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• भगवती: the Goddess
• भगवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• क्रुद्धा: angered
• क्रुद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; भगवती इति विशेषण

• त्रिशूलेन: with a trident
• त्रिशूलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः शूलाः यस्मिन्)

• जघान: struck, slew
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The universe itself trembles; Devī’s face hardens with righteous fury; she drives the trident into the colossal buffalo-asura, arresting the chaos in a single decisive blow.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavatī (Goddess)
• Triśūla (trident)
• Brahmāṇḍa (cosmos)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic order is threatened, the Goddess acts as the guardian of dharma, restoring stability through decisive power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s māhātmya is reinforced indirectly: its divine protectors are portrayed as sustaining not only the city but cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a climactic action in the battle narrative.