Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

बलानि बलिनां ताभिर्दानवानां स्वलीलया । संक्षिप्ता निजगंतीव प्रलयानलहेतेभिः

Transliteration

balāni balināṃ tābhirdānavānāṃ svalīlayā | saṃkṣiptā nijagaṃtīva pralayānalahetebhiḥ

Translation

ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਸੁਖਲਿਲਾ ਨਾਲ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਬਲਵਾਨ ਦਾਨਵਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਫੌਜਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੁਚਲ ਕੇ ਇਕੱਠਾ ਸਮੇਟ ਲਿਆ—ਮਾਨੋ ਪ੍ਰਲਯ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਦੇ ਹੀ ਕਾਰਣਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਸਾੜ ਕੇ ਸਿਮਟਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੋਵੇ।

Word by Word

• बलानि: forces/strengths
• बलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• बलिनाम्: of the strong (ones)
• बलिनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ताभिः: by those (goddesses)
• ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• स्वलीलया: by (their) own play/sport
• स्वलीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (स्वा लीला)

• संक्षिप्ताः: were compressed/contracted
• संक्षिप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संक्षिप्त (कृदन्त; उपसर्ग-सम् + √क्षिप् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• निजगन्ती: going to their own (place)
• निजगन्ती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ती (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) शतृ/न्त्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त-वर्तमानकृदन्तः; तत्पुरुषः (निजं गच्छन्तीः)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

• प्रलयानलहेतेभिः: by the causes like the fire of dissolution
• प्रलयानलहेतेभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रलयस्य अनलः; तस्य हेतवः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya armies compress and collapse as if drawn into a vortex of fire; the śaktis stand calm, almost playful (līlā), while a pralaya-like blaze forms a backdrop—suggesting cosmic inevitability rather than mere battle.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic power collapses instantly before divine līlā; cosmic justice operates with effortless certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame; the verse itself is a battle-image rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the focus is on the Goddess’ overwhelming, dissolution-like power.