Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

क्षणेनैव तया दूत्या दैत्त्यास्त्र्ययुतसंमितान् । दृशा व्यापारयामास दुर्धरं दुर्मुखं खरम्

Transliteration

kṣaṇenaiva tayā dūtyā daittyāstryayutasaṃmitān | dṛśā vyāpārayāmāsa durdharaṃ durmukhaṃ kharam

Translation

ایک ہی لمحے میں اُس قاصدہ نے محض اپنی نگاہ سے ایسے زور کو حرکت میں لے آیا جو دَیتّی ہتھیاروں کے دَس ہزاروں کے برابر تھا—ناقابلِ روک، ہولناک چہرہ، اور نہایت سخت۔

Word by Word

• kṣaṇena: in a moment, instantly
• kṣaṇena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis): ‘indeed/just’

• tayā: by her
• tayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• dūtyā: by the female messenger
• dūtyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūtī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• daityāḥ: of the demon
• daityāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• tri-ayuta-saṃmitān: numbering thirty thousand
• tri-ayuta-saṃmitān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ayuta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmita (√mā, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural); तत्पुरुषः: ‘tri-ayutena saṃmitān’ (measured as thirty-thousand)

• dṛśā: with (her) glance/eye
• dṛśā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• vyāpārayāmāsa: caused to act/overpowered
• vyāpārayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-√pṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद; causative (णिच्) sense: ‘set in motion/caused to act/struck down’

• durdharam: the hard-to-resist one
• durdharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durdhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारयः/उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषण: ‘hard to bear/irresistible’

• durmukham: the evil-faced one
• durmukham: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारयः: ‘evil-faced’

• kharam: Khara (proper name)
• kharam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda’s discourse to Agastya, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The messenger’s eyes blaze; from her glance emanate countless weapon-like energies, forming a storm of terrible-faced forces, overwhelming the demonic power in an instant.

Characters & Entities

• Dūtī (messenger)
• Daitya weapons (astrāṇi)
• Daityapati (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection can manifest effortlessly—through a glance—showing that spiritual power surpasses brute force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, but it does not directly name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.