Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

शरवज्रप्रहारैस्तैर्वज्राघातैर्नगा इव । प्रमथानेशिरे वातैर्निस्तोया इव तोयदाः

Transliteration

śaravajraprahāraistairvajrāghātairnagā iva | pramathāneśire vātairnistoyā iva toyadāḥ

Translation

Поражённые стрелами и ударами, подобными молнии, праматхи шатались, как горы, разбиваемые громом; и под натиском их носило туда-сюда, словно тучи, исчерпавшие дождь и разметённые ветрами.

Word by Word

• शरवज्रप्रहारैः: by blows of arrows and thunderbolts
• शरवज्रप्रहारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक) + वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासः (शर-वज्र-प्रहाराः = arrows-and-thunderbolt blows)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• वज्राघातैः: by thunderbolt-strikes
• वज्राघातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वज्रस्य आघाताः)

• नगाः: mountains
• नगाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• प्रमथान्: the Pramathas
• प्रमथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एशिरे: they ruled/overpowered
• एशिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• वातैः: by winds
• वातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निस्तोयाः: waterless
• निस्तोयाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्/निः-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (निर्गतं तोयं येषाम्/यत्र)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

• तोयदाः: clouds
• तोयदाः: Upameya (Object compared/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोयद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (तोयद = मेघ/cloud)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pramathas stagger under arrow- and vajra-like strikes; they reel like mountains hit by lightning and scatter like rain-clouds emptied and driven by wind.

Characters & Entities

• Pramatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty forces tremble when struck by divinely charged resolve—adharma’s violence is depicted as tempestuous and destabilizing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the overarching sacred setting, though this verse focuses on the battle imagery rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.