Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

इत्याद्यैस्तु गणैरुग्रैरंधकोप्यंधकीकृतः । त्रिशूल शक्तिबाणौघ धारासंपातपातिभिः

Transliteration

ityādyaistu gaṇairugrairaṃdhakopyaṃdhakīkṛtaḥ | triśūla śaktibāṇaugha dhārāsaṃpātapātibhiḥ

Translation

अशा इतर उग्र गणांनी अंधकालाही ‘अंधक’ करून टाकले; त्रिशूल, शक्ती व बाणांच्या प्रवाहांनी अखंड धारावृष्टीसारखे कोसळून त्याला गुदमरवले।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/उद्धरण-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आद्यैः: by such and other (foremost etc.)
• आद्यैः: Karana/सहकर्ता (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘गणैः’ इति विशेषण

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: निपात (discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• गणैः: by the hosts (Gaṇas)
• गणैः: Karana/सहकर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• उग्रैः: fierce
• उग्रैः: Karana/सहकर्ता (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘गणैः’ इति विशेषण

• अंधकः: Andhaka
• अंधकः: Karta/कर्म (contextual; subject of passive-result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: निपात (emphasis/addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-निपात (also/even)

• अंधकीकृतः: made like Andhaka / rendered helpless (lit. ‘Andhak-ized’)
• अंधकीकृतः: कर्मणि-फल (result state of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अंधक (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अंधकः’ इति विशेष्यस्यान्वयः

• त्रिशूल: trident
• त्रिशूल: समासित-उपकरण-निर्देश (instrument-list element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग in usage), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समाहार-निर्देश (as member of a list)

• शक्ति: spear/lance
• शक्ति: समासित-उपकरण-निर्देश
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सूची-समुच्चयाङ्ग

• बाणौघ: a torrent of arrows
• बाणौघ: समासित-उपकरण-निर्देश
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बाणानाम् ओघः = flood of arrows)

• धारासंपातपातिभिः: by those that fell in a shower-like downpour
• धारासंपातपातिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारा (प्रातिपदिक) + संपात (प्रातिपदिक) + पातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (धारावत् संपातः पातः येषां/यैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fierce gaṇas unleash continuous torrents of tridents, spears, and arrow-floods; Andhaka is ‘made Andhaka’—overwhelmed and darkened—under the downpour-like barrage.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The proud are humbled: divine forces can ‘blind’ ego and violence, restoring balance where adharma tries to dominate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the frame; the verse emphasizes Śaiva protection rather than a particular bathing spot or shrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.