Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

आश्चर्यरूपे प्रमथेश्वराणां तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तति युद्धयज्ञे । अमर्षितो भार्गवकर्मदृष्ट्वा शिलादपुत्रोभ्यगमन्महेशम्

Transliteration

āścaryarūpe pramatheśvarāṇāṃ tasmiṃstathā vartati yuddhayajñe | amarṣito bhārgavakarmadṛṣṭvā śilādaputrobhyagamanmaheśam

Translation

เมื่อยัญญะแห่งศึกนั้นดำเนินไปอย่างอัศจรรย์แก่เหล่าเจ้าแห่งประมถะ นันทิ บุตรแห่งศิลาดะ ครั้นเห็นการกระทำของภารควะก็เดือดดาล แล้วเข้าเฝ้ามเหศวร

Word by Word

• आश्चर्यरूपे: in a wondrous form
• आश्चर्यरूपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्यरूप (प्रातिपदिक; आश्चर्य + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् — 'in a wondrous form/state'

• प्रमथेश्वराणाम्: of the Pramatha-lords
• प्रमथेश्वराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; प्रमथ + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धः (of the lords of the Pramathas)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (in that)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्ययम् (thus/so)

• वर्तति: was going on/continued
• वर्तति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present) प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• युद्धयज्ञे: in the battle-sacrifice
• युद्धयज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्धयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; युद्ध + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् — 'in the battle-sacrifice'

• अमर्षितः: angered
• अमर्षितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षित (कृदन्त; √मृष् (धातु) + अ-निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त) — 'angered/impatient'

• भार्गवकर्म: Bhārgava’s deed
• भार्गवकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गवकर्म (प्रातिपदिक; भार्गव + कर्म)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (दृष्ट्वा इत्यस्य कर्म); तत्पुरुषः — 'Bhārgava's act'

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त; √दृश्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् — 'having seen'

• शिलादपुत्रः: Śilāda’s son (Nandī)
• शिलादपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिलादपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक; शिलाद + पुत्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः — 'son of Śilāda' (नन्दी)

• अभ्यगमत्: approached/went to
• अभ्यगमत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) अभि-उपसर्ग
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect) प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• महेशम्: Mahēśa (Śiva)
• महेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; कर्म (whom he approached)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśī-khaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wondrous ‘battle-sacrifice’ unfolds; pramatha-lords watch in amazement. Nandī, son of Śilāda, angered by Śukra’s act, strides toward Maheśa to report/seek intervention.

Characters & Entities

• Pramathas
• Bhārgava (Śukra)
• Śilāda
• Nandī
• Maheśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma gains advantage, devotion expresses itself as swift recourse to the Lord and disciplined response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames the episode within Kāśī’s Śaiva sanctity, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; “battle as sacrifice” is a poetic framing, not a ritual injunction here.