Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

शकलीकृत्य बहुशः शिलावत्प्रलयानलम् । नंदी च नंदिषेणश्च सोमनंदी महोदरः

Transliteration

śakalīkṛtya bahuśaḥ śilāvatpralayānalam | naṃdī ca naṃdiṣeṇaśca somanaṃdī mahodaraḥ

Translation

他们一次又一次将劫灭之火击碎，仿佛那只是石块。又有难提（Nandī）、难提舍那（Nandiṣeṇa）、苏摩难提（Somanandī）与摩诃乌陀罗（Mahodara）等，皆为湿婆之众（gaṇa）中的雄强领袖。

Word by Word

• शकलीकृत्य: having broken into pieces
• शकलीकृत्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शकली-कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु √कृ; उपपद: शकली (प्रातिपदिक)

• बहुशः: many times; repeatedly
• बहुशः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• शिलावत्: like a rock/stone
• शिलावत्: Upamā (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शिला + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Upamā-avyaya: ‘like/as’)

• प्रलय-अनलम्: the fire of dissolution
• प्रलय-अनलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: प्रलयस्य अनलः

• नन्दी: Nandin
• नन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

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

• नन्दिषेणः: Nandiṣeṇa
• नन्दिषेणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि-सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नन्देः सेना (नन्दिषेणा)

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

• सोमनन्दी: Somanandin
• सोमनन्दी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सोमस्य नन्दी

• महोदरः: the big-bellied one
• महोदरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: महत् उदरं यस्य सः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of formidable gaṇas around a blazing pralaya-fire, striking and shattering it as if it were stone; Nandī and named leaders stand in front of Kāśī’s luminous skyline and a distant Viśvanātha liṅga aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)
• Śiva (implied)
• Gaṇas
• Nandī
• Nandiṣeṇa
• Somanandī
• Mahodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as divinely protected—Śiva’s gaṇas are depicted as overpowering even cosmic-scale threats, affirming unwavering refuge in Śiva’s domain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a whole—its sanctity and supernatural guardianship within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is primarily a narrative listing of Śiva’s gaṇa leaders and their might.