Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विद्याधर्यश्च किन्नर्यस्तथाऽमर्यः सहस्रशः । चामर व्यग्रहस्ताग्र मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः

Transliteration

vidyādharyaśca kinnaryastathā'maryaḥ sahasraśaḥ | cāmara vyagrahastāgra maṃgaladravyapāṇayaḥ

Translation

وجاءت بالآلاف نساء الفيديادهاري، ونساء الكِنّاري، والعذارى الإلهيات؛ فمنهنّ من كانت منشغلة بحمل مراوح ذيل الياك (تشامارا)، ومنهنّ من حملت في يديها موادّ الطقوس المباركة.

Word by Word

• विद्याधर्यः: Vidyādharī women
• विद्याधर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्याधरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• किन्नर्यः: Kinnarī women
• किन्नर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• अमर्यः: celestial women (Amarīs)
• अमर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/बहुत्ववाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: ‘by thousands’)

• चामर: yak-tail fan (cāmara)
• चामर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (पाठभेदे) विशेषणरूपेण अपि

• व्यग्रहस्ताग्र: with busy hands held forward
• व्यग्रहस्ताग्र: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र + हस्त + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘whose hands are busy/raised at the front’ (हस्ताग्र = हस्तस्य अग्रभागः)

• मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः: those with auspicious items in their hands
• मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंगल + द्रव्य + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—मंगलद्रव्यं पाणौ येषाम् (अर्थतः बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage-audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Thousands of celestial women arrive in ordered groups: some wave white yak-tail fans (cāmara) in rhythmic arcs; others carry trays of auspicious items—flowers, incense, lamps, perfumes—moving toward the sacred focal point.

Characters & Entities

• Vidyādharī
• Kinnarī
• Amarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī draws not only humans but celestial beings; sincere worship is portrayed as a cosmic event honored with maṅgala-dravya and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the sacred center where divine assemblies gather.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Carrying maṅgala-dravya (auspicious articles) and performing service (such as fanning with cāmara) are implied as acts of honor in worship.