Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स्वस्य त्रिशूलघातेन म्रियते नान्यथा रणे । जगत्पर्याकुलीकृत्य निद्रात्यत्रविनिर्भयः

Transliteration

svasya triśūlaghātena mriyate nānyathā raṇe | jagatparyākulīkṛtya nidrātyatravinirbhayaḥ

Translation

യുദ്ധത്തിൽ അവൻ തന്റെ തന്നെ ത്രിശൂലപ്രഹാരത്താൽ മാത്രമേ മരിക്കൂ; മറ്റെങ്ങനെക്കും അല്ല. ലോകത്തെ കലക്കിയിട്ട് അവൻ ഇവിടെ നിർഭയമായി ഉറങ്ങുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्वस्य: of his own
• स्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of one’s own/of him’

• त्रिशूलघातेन: by the blow of a trident
• त्रिशूलघातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल + घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/रीति-अर्थे (otherwise)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पर्याकुलीकृत्य: having thrown into turmoil
• पर्याकुलीकृत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + आकुली + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having made (it) utterly agitated’

• निद्राति: sleeps
• निद्राति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √निद्रा/√द्रा (धातु; निद्रायते इत्यर्थे)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘sleeps’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विनिर्भयः: fearless
• विनिर्भयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaṃkālaketu, after shaking the world, lies sleeping fearlessly in a lair near the sacred city; his trident is prominent, hinting that it alone can end him.

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃkālaketu (implied)
• Triśūla (trident)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Boons and power misused for world-disturbance still contain a dhārmic ‘key’ for correction—evil is not beyond remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit; the verse functions within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative arc that supports Kāśī’s protective sacred fame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it states the condition of the demon’s defeat (only by his own trident).