Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य काशिराजस्य भूपतेः । तैः कालयवनैः सार्धमभवत्संगरो महान्

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya kāśirājasya bhūpateḥ | taiḥ kālayavanaiḥ sārdhamabhavatsaṃgaro mahān

Translation

कस्यचित्कालस्य पश्चात् काशिराजस्य भूपतेः तैः कालयवनैः सार्धं महान् संगरोऽभवत्।

Word by Word

• kasya-cit: of some
• kasya-cit: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim + cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse connector (अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (sequencer)

• kālasya: time/period
• kālasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kāśirājasya: of the king of Kāśī
• kāśirājasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśirāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• bhūpateḥ: of the ruler/king
• bhūpateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• taiḥ: by/with them
• taiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kāla-yavanaiḥ: with the Kāla-Yavanas
• kāla-yavanaiḥ: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + yavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘काला यवनाः’ (dark/black Yavanas)

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (prepositional adverb) ‘सह’

• abhavat: there was/occurred
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• saṃgaraḥ: battle
• saṃgaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mahān: great
• mahān: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A looming war: the Kāśirāja’s banners face dark, foreign-looking Kāla-Yavana forces; dust clouds, chariots, and ominous sky suggest time’s pressure.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kāśirāja
• Kāla-Yavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly order is fragile; upheaval often becomes the turning point that drives beings toward refuge in dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is invoked through its king; the conflict sets up the later movement toward Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra where the māhātmya unfolds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces the historical crisis in the narrative.