Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

महाप्रलय काले च नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । आसीत्तमोमयं सर्वमनर्कग्रहतारकम्

Transliteration

mahāpralaya kāle ca naṣṭe sthāvarajaṃgame | āsīttamomayaṃ sarvamanarkagrahatārakam

Translation

在大毁灭（摩诃普罗罗耶）之时，动与不动的一切皆已灭尽；万有尽成幽暗，无日、无诸行星、亦无群星。

Word by Word

• महाप्रलय: great dissolution
• महाप्रलय: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā-प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्सम्बन्धे/समासपूर्वपद; अत्र 'महाप्रलयकाले' इति समासस्य पूर्वपदम्; कर्मधारयः (महान् प्रलयः)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'at the time'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• नष्टे: when (it) had perished
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when ... had perished)

• स्थावरजङ्गमे: the immobile and the mobile (creation)
• स्थावरजङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर-जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'in/with the immobile and mobile (beings)' (सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 'was'

• तमोमयम्: made of darkness
• तमोमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस्-मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तमसा मयम् = made of darkness); विशेषणम् (सर्वम्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'everything'

• अनर्कग्रहतारकम्: without sun, planets, and stars
• अनर्कग्रहतारकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्क-ग्रह-तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष-समाहारः: अनर्कम् (अर्काभावः) + ग्रह + तारक; विशेषणम् (सर्वम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquiring audience/sage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast void after dissolution: no sun, planets, or stars; the world submerged in thick darkness; no living beings, no mountains, no trees—only an endless black expanse suggesting cosmic sleep.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpralaya
• Arka (Sun)
• Graha
• Tārā (stars)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Mahātmya sets Kāśī’s teaching against cosmic impermanence: even worlds dissolve, preparing the theme of an enduring sacred principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it functions as cosmological backdrop for the Avimukta/Kāśī narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmology.