Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यज्ञेषु नाशं गच्छत्सु हृताहारास्ततः सुराः । निर्बलाः सुखजेयाः स्युर्जितेषु त्रिदशेष्वथ

Transliteration

yajñeṣu nāśaṃ gacchatsu hṛtāhārāstataḥ surāḥ | nirbalāḥ sukhajeyāḥ syurjiteṣu tridaśeṣvatha

Translation

当祭祀（yajña）败坏之时，诸天失其供养；于是天众羸弱，易为所胜。及至三十天众被征服，世界秩序便随之倾覆。

Word by Word

• यज्ञेषु: in the sacrifices
• यज्ञेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• गच्छत्सु: when (they are) going toward / falling into
• गच्छत्सु: Saptamī-samaye (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसमास)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gacchat (कृदन्त; √gam (गम्) + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)

• हृताहाराः: whose sustenance/offerings are taken away
• हृताहाराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of surāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛta-āhāra (प्रातिपदिक; hṛta (√hṛ हर् + क्त) + āhāra)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (हृतः आहारः येषाम्)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kāla/Anvaya (Temporal sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुसूचक (then/thereupon)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निर्बलाः: weak
• निर्बलाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-bala (प्रातिपदिक; nir + bala)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक तत्पुरुष (without strength)

• सुखजेयाः: easily conquerable
• सुखजेयाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha-jeya (प्रातिपदिक; sukha + jeya (√ji जि + यत्))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (easily conquerable)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• जितेषु: when (they are) conquered
• जितेषु: Saptamī-samaye (Locative absolute/सप्तमीसमास)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त; √ji (जि) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• त्रिदशेषु: among the thirty (gods)
• त्रिदशेषु: Adhikaraṇa (in/among)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridaśa (प्रातिपदिक; tri + daśa)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (thirty = gods)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (then/now)

Speaker

Skanda (narration to Agastya, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand yajña-kuṇḍa in decline: extinguished flames, empty ladles; devas above appear faint and hungry; shadowy asuras loom as the balance tips.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras/Tridaśas)
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Collective dharma—especially yajña and sacred duty—sustains cosmic harmony; neglect leads to vulnerability and disorder.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered sacred narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded, but the necessity of maintaining yajñas is strongly implied.