Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

चिंतामवाप महती जगद्योनिः प्रजाक्षयात् । प्रजासु क्षीयमाणासु क्षीणा यज्ञादिकाः क्रियाः

Transliteration

ciṃtāmavāpa mahatī jagadyoniḥ prajākṣayāt | prajāsu kṣīyamāṇāsu kṣīṇā yajñādikāḥ kriyāḥ

Translation

ପ୍ରଜାମାନଙ୍କର କ୍ଷୟ ହେତୁ ଜଗତର କାରଣ ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ମହା ଚିନ୍ତା ହେଲା। ପ୍ରଜାମାନେ କ୍ଷୀଣ ହେବାରୁ ଯଜ୍ଞାଦି କ୍ରିୟା ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ଷୀଣ ହୋଇଗଲା।

Word by Word

• ciṃtām: anxiety/thought
• ciṃtām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• avāpa: obtained/experienced
• avāpa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• mahatī: great
• mahatī: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jagadyoniḥ: the source of the world
• jagadyoniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• prajākṣayāt: from the destruction of creatures
• prajākṣayāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prajāsu: among the creatures
• prajāsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kṣīyamāṇāsu: while (they) were dwindling
• kṣīyamāṇāsu: Adhikarana (Qualifier in locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣī (धातु) + yamāna (शानच्, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kṣīṇāḥ: diminished
• kṣīṇāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣī (धातु) + na (क्त, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yajñādikāḥ: sacrificial and other
• yajñādikāḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yajña + ādi + ka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kriyāḥ: rites/actions
• kriyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, ‘jagad-yoni’, sits in contemplation with furrowed concern; below, abandoned yajña-vedis, cold ash, and dwindling households symbolize prajā-kṣaya and kriyā-kṣaya.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Brahmā (Jagadyoni)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yajña and dharmic rites are portrayed as supports of cosmic balance; when life diminishes, ritual and order also fade, prompting divine concern.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it prepares the theological ground for why divine intervention and sacred geography (Avimukta/Kāśī) become crucial.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription, but yajña and allied rites are identified as declining practices.