Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

येषां दृक्पातमात्रेण पतंति भुवनान्यपि । ते किं समर्था नो कांते नगवृद्धिनिषेधने

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ dṛkpātamātreṇa pataṃti bhuvanānyapi | te kiṃ samarthā no kāṃte nagavṛddhiniṣedhane

Translation

Yaong sa isang sulyap lamang nila’y nalalaglag maging ang mga daigdig—hindi ba sila may kakayahan, aking sinta, na pigilan ang paglobo at paglaki ng bundok?

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• दृक्पातमात्रेण: by mere glance
• दृक्पातमात्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः (दृक्-पातस्य मात्रेण = by mere glance)

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• भुवनानि: worlds
• भुवनानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even/also)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• किम्: why? / what?
• किम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक

• समर्थाः: capable
• समर्थाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नः: for us / of us
• नः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) वा चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (our/to us)

• कान्ते: O beloved
• कान्ते: Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

• नगवृद्धिनिषेधने: in the prevention of the mountain’s growth
• नगवृद्धिनिषेधने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नग (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + निषेधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः (नगस्य वृद्धेः निषेधने = in preventing the mountain's growth)

Speaker

Unnamed sage (context: speaking to Lopāmudrā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful deva or Rudra-like figure whose mere glance causes distant worlds to tremble; in the foreground a mountain bulges upward like a living form, yet is held in check by unseen divine will; a ‘beloved’ addressee suggests intimate counsel amid cosmic spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (implied from prior verse)
• Worlds (bhuvana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obstacles are not ultimate; cosmic and divine forces can restrain them—especially in a sanctified dhāma like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Avimukta is the implied sacred frame, though the verse speaks in general terms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a rhetorical reassurance.