Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

शृंगाग्राणि गिरीणां च कैश्चिदुत्पाटितानि वै । आचूडमूलाः कैश्चिच्च विधता वै शिलोच्चयाः

Transliteration

śṛṃgāgrāṇi girīṇāṃ ca kaiścidutpāṭitāni vai | ācūḍamūlāḥ kaiścicca vidhatā vai śiloccayāḥ

Translation

ചിലർ പർവതങ്ങളുടെ ശൃംഗാഗ്രങ്ങൾ പോലും പിഴുതെടുത്തു. ചിലർ ശിലാസമൂഹങ്ങളെ മൂലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ചൂട വരെ ഉയർത്തി പിടിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• शृङ्गाग्राणि: the tips of peaks
• शृङ्गाग्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म) (उत्पाटितानि इति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘शृङ्गस्य अग्राणि’ = mountain-peak tips

• गिरीणाम्: of mountains
• गिरीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कैश्चित्: by some (people)
• कैश्चित्: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• उत्पाटितानि: uprooted, torn out
• उत्पाटितानि: Kriya (Predicate-participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + पट्/पाट् (धातु) → उत्पाटित (क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘शृङ्गाग्राणि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Prayojaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आचूडमूलाः: from top to root (entirely)
• आचूडमूलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + चूड (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः—‘चूडापर्यन्तं मूलपर्यन्तं’/‘चूडात् मूलपर्यन्तम्’ = from topknot to root, entirely; ‘शिलोच्चयाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कैश्चित्: by some
• कैश्चित्: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• विधताः: set up, arranged
• विधताः: Kriya (Predicate-participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा (धातु) → विहित/विधत (क्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘शिलोच्चयाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः—‘स्थापिताः/रचिताः’ (set up/arranged)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Prayojaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय

• शिलोच्चयाः: heaps of stones
• शिलोच्चयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (विधताः इति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘शिलानाम् उच्चयाः’ = heaps/piles of rocks

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas wrench mountain peaks and lift entire rocky masses from root to summit, hurling them toward a ritual ground; dust clouds and fractured stone fill the air, while the sacred city watches in stunned silence.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Mountains

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma is not merely argued against; it is overturned by the irresistible force of divine justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.