Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मांडभांडमथवा स्फोटयामः क्षणेन हि । आस्फालयामो वान्योन्यं कालं मृत्युं च तालवत्

Transliteration

brahmāṃḍabhāṃḍamathavā sphoṭayāmaḥ kṣaṇena hi | āsphālayāmo vānyonyaṃ kālaṃ mṛtyuṃ ca tālavat

Translation

یا ہم ایک ہی لمحے میں کائنات کے برتن کو چکناچور کر دیں؛ اور وقت اور موت کو بھی تال کے پتّے کے پنکھے کی طرح جھپٹ کر پرے ہٹا دیں۔

Word by Word

• brahmāṇḍa-bhāṇḍam: the vessel of the universe (cosmic egg as a pot)
• brahmāṇḍa-bhāṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्माण्डस्य भाण्डम्)

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• sphoṭayāmaḥ: we burst/shatter
• sphoṭayāmaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sphoṭ (स्फोट्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: ‘cause to burst’)

• kṣaṇena: in an instant
• kṣaṇena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• āsphālayāmaḥ: we strike/slap
• āsphālayāmaḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sphal/√sphāl (स्फाल्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to slap/strike’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• anyonyam: mutually; each other
• anyonyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परस्परार्थक-अव्यय (reciprocal adverb)

• kālam: Time (as a deity)
• kālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• mṛtyum: Death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tālavat: like a palm-leaf/fan; as with a tāla
• tālavat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (वत्) (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (simile adverb), -वत् प्रत्ययान्त (like/as)

Speaker

Gaṇas/Pramathas (quoted speech within Skanda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas declare they can shatter the cosmic egg and slap away Time and Death like a palm-leaf fan; personified Kāla and Mṛtyu recoil before Rudra’s aura over Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmāṇḍa
• Kāla
• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The boast highlights delusion: only the Supreme Lord truly transcends Time and Death; attendants must remain grounded in devotion and Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered Mahātmya, where liberation and victory over death are key themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.