Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आजौ प्रवर्तमानायामंधकांधकवैरिणोः । अनिर्भेद्य गिरिव्यूह वज्रव्यूहाधिनाथयोः

Transliteration

ājau pravartamānāyāmaṃdhakāṃdhakavairiṇoḥ | anirbhedya girivyūha vajravyūhādhināthayoḥ

Translation

ครั้นศึกระหว่างอันธกะกับศัตรูดำเนินอยู่ บรรดาจอมทัพแห่งกระบวนทัพ ‘คีรี-วยูหะ’ อันมิอาจทำลาย และ ‘วัชระ-วยูหะ’ ก็ยืนประจันหน้ากัน

Word by Word

• आजौ: in battle
• आजौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आजि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रवर्तमानायाम्: while proceeding/going on
• प्रवर्तमानायाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) → प्रवर्तमान (वर्तमान-कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present participle)

• अन्धक-अन्धक-वैरिणोः: of (Andhaka and) the enemy of Andhaka (two persons)
• अन्धक-अन्धक-वैरिणोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक) + वैरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अन्धकस्य अन्धकवैरिणः इति; द्वयोर् सम्बन्धः)

• अनिर्भेद्य: unbreakable/impregnable
• अनिर्भेद्य: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन् (निषेध) + निर्भेद्य (भिद् धातु, ण्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्यय/विशेषणरूपेण; ‘अभेद्य’ अर्थे, नपुंसक/पुं/स्त्री सर्वत्र प्रयुज्यते (indeclinable-like adjective)

• गिरिव्यूह: a mountain-like formation
• गिरिव्यूह: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गिरिणा/गिरिसदृशः व्यूहः)

• वज्रव्यूहाधिनाथयोः: of the two commanders of the vajra-formation
• वज्रव्यूहाधिनाथयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक) + अधि (उपसर्ग) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वज्रव्यूहस्य अधिनाथौ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast battlefield with two opposing commanders: one leading an unbreakable mountain-like formation (girivyūha), the other a thunderbolt-like formation (vajravyūha); banners, chariots, and disciplined ranks create geometric patterns.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives depict cosmic conflict to highlight the eventual triumph of dharma and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, whose overarching glorification is Kāśī, even when narrating mythic episodes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is descriptive of the battle setting and formations.