Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दंभोलि शूलासिपरश्वधानामुद्दंडचक्रोपल कंपनानाम् । नंदीश्वरस्योपरि दानवेद्रा वर्षं ववर्षुर्जलदा इवोग्रम्

Transliteration

daṃbholi śūlāsiparaśvadhānāmuddaṃḍacakropala kaṃpanānām | naṃdīśvarasyopari dānavedrā varṣaṃ vavarṣurjaladā ivogram

Translation

دانَوؤں کے سرداروں نے نندییشور پر ہولناک ہتھیاروں کی بارش برسائی—وَجر، ترشول، تلواریں، کلہاڑے، بڑے چکر، چٹانیں اور لرزتے پتھر—جیسے گھنے بادل سخت طوفانی مینہ برسا دیں۔

Word by Word

• daṃbholi-śūla-asi-paraśvadhānām-uddaṇḍa-cakra-upala-kampanānām: of thunderbolts, spears, swords, axes, clubs, discs, stones, and missiles
• daṃbholi-śūla-asi-paraśvadhānām-uddaṇḍa-cakra-upala-kampanānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃbholi (प्रातिपदिक) + śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + asi (प्रातिपदिक) + paraśvadha (प्रातिपदिक) + uddaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + upala (प्रातिपदिक) + kampana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (शस्त्र-समूहः) षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे—‘(एतेषाम्) …’

• naṃdīśvarasya: of Nandīśvara
• naṃdīśvarasya: Adhikaraṇa (Reference/locative sense via ‘upari’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• upari: upon, over
• upari: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (preposition/adverb)

• dānava-indrāḥ: lords of the Dānavas
• dānava-indrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘दानवानाम् इन्द्राः’

• varṣam: a shower, rain
• varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• vavarṣuḥ: rained down
• vavarṣuḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• jaladāḥ: clouds
• jaladāḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; उपमा-प्रयोगे उपमानम्

• iva: like
• iva: Upamādyotaka (Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्ययम्

• ugram: fierce, terrible
• ugram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; varṣam इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Above Nandīśvara, demon-lords hurl a dense rain of weapons—tridents, swords, axes, discs, rocks—forming a dark canopy like storm-clouds; impacts spark and dust rises.

Characters & Entities

• Nandīśvara
• Dānava
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may hurl overwhelming force, but steadfast devotion to Śiva and alignment with dharma endure even under ‘weapon-storms’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame; the verse itself praises Śiva’s attendant Nandī rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is martial narration.