Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तासु क्षीणासु संक्षीणाः सर्वे यज्ञभुजोऽभवन् । ततश्चिंतयता स्रष्ट्रा दृष्टो राजर्षिसत्तमः

Transliteration

tāsu kṣīṇāsu saṃkṣīṇāḥ sarve yajñabhujo'bhavan | tataściṃtayatā sraṣṭrā dṛṣṭo rājarṣisattamaḥ

Translation

Nang manghina ang mga ritwal na iyon, nanghina rin ang lahat ng ‘kumakain ng handog’—ang mga diyos na tumatanggap ng alay. Pagkaraan, habang nagmumuni ang Lumikha, nasilayan niya ang pinakadakila sa mga rajarsi.

Word by Word

• tāsu: in those (rites)
• tāsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kṣīṇāsu: when (they) were diminished
• kṣīṇāsu: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣī (धातु) + na (क्त, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• saṃkṣīṇāḥ: were completely diminished
• saṃkṣīṇāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + kṣī (धातु) + na (क्त, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yajñabhujaḥ: eaters/partakers of sacrifices (gods)
• yajñabhujaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña + bhuj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• abhavan: became/were
• abhavan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Kāla (Sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/हेतुवाचक (thereupon)

• ciṃtayatā: by (him) thinking
• ciṃtayatā: Karana (Agent in participial construction/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciṃt (धातु) + yat (शतृ, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• sraṣṭrā: by the creator
• sraṣṭrā: Karana (Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sraṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: was seen
• dṛṣṭaḥ: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rājarṣisattamaḥ: the best of royal sages
• rājarṣisattamaḥ: Karma (Object of seeing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + ṛṣi + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A two-tier vision: devas appear faint and diminished, their radiance reduced; Brahmā, contemplating, suddenly beholds a radiant royal sage (rājarṣi) as a hopeful counterforce.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Brahmā (Sraṣṭṛ)
• Devas (Yajñabhujaḥ)
• Rājarṣi (unnamed here)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma presents mutual dependence: humans uphold yajña, devas are nourished by offerings, and cosmic welfare is maintained through this reciprocity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is moving toward Avimukta/Kāśī; this verse signals a turning point where a great rājṛṣi becomes relevant.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None as a command; it states that yajña-sustained deities weaken when sacrificial rites decline.