Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

शूलं तदंकादादाय गृहाणेमं जहि द्रुतम् । इति त्रिशूलं बालातो बालार्कसदृशद्युति

Transliteration

śūlaṃ tadaṃkādādāya gṛhāṇemaṃ jahi drutam | iti triśūlaṃ bālāto bālārkasadṛśadyuti

Translation

“അവന്റെ മടിയിൽ നിന്നുള്ള ശൂലം എടുത്തുകൊൾക; ഇതു പിടിച്ച് വേഗം അവനെ വധിക്ക!” എന്നു പറഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ, നവോദിതസൂര്യസദൃശ ദ്യുതിയുള്ള ത്രിശൂലം കന്യയിൽ നിന്നു എടുത്തു।

Word by Word

• शूलम्: spear, trident
• शूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (शूलम्)

• अङ्कात्: from the lap
• अङ्कात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); ‘having taken’

• गृहाण: take!
• गृहाण: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इमम्: this (one)
• इमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्तर्निहितं ‘शत्रुम्/एनम्’)

• जहि: kill! strike down!
• जहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उक्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• त्रिशूलम्: trident (three-pronged spear)
• त्रिशूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बालात्: from the boy/child
• बालात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बालार्कसदृशद्युति: having a radiance like the young sun
• बालार्कसदृशद्युति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः—‘बालार्कस्य सदृशी द्युतिः यस्य’ इति; विशेषण (त्रिशूलम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Skanda speaking to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden’s lap holds a blazing triśūla; at a shouted command it is seized, its tips flaring like the newborn sun, casting gold-red light across a tense confrontation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands swift protection of the vulnerable; righteous force is justified when used to stop adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where narratives support the city’s dharma-centered greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is narrative, setting up later vrata/teaching sections.