Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

बलानि बलिनां ताभिर्दानवानां स्वलीलया । संक्षिप्ता निजगंतीव प्रलयानलहेतेभिः

Transliteration

balāni balināṃ tābhirdānavānāṃ svalīlayā | saṃkṣiptā nijagaṃtīva pralayānalahetebhiḥ

Translation

由她们以从容戏游之力，那些强盛达那婆的军势被碾碎并收束——宛如遭遇宇宙劫灭之火的因缘一般。

Word by Word

• बलानि: forces/strengths
• बलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• बलिनाम्: of the strong (ones)
• बलिनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ताभिः: by those (goddesses)
• ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• स्वलीलया: by (their) own play/sport
• स्वलीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (स्वा लीला)

• संक्षिप्ताः: were compressed/contracted
• संक्षिप्ताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संक्षिप्त (कृदन्त; उपसर्ग-सम् + √क्षिप् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• निजगन्ती: going to their own (place)
• निजगन्ती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ती (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) शतृ/न्त्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त-वर्तमानकृदन्तः; तत्पुरुषः (निजं गच्छन्तीः)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamana-marker (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

• प्रलयानलहेतेभिः: by the causes like the fire of dissolution
• प्रलयानलहेतेभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रलयस्य अनलः; तस्य हेतवः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya armies compress and collapse as if drawn into a vortex of fire; the śaktis stand calm, almost playful (līlā), while a pralaya-like blaze forms a backdrop—suggesting cosmic inevitability rather than mere battle.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic power collapses instantly before divine līlā; cosmic justice operates with effortless certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame; the verse itself is a battle-image rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the focus is on the Goddess’ overwhelming, dissolution-like power.