Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

तत्प्रवृत्तिं पुनर्ज्ञातुं ब्रह्माणं केशवं गणान् । गणेश्वरं च देवांश्च प्रेषयामास शूलधृक्

Transliteration

tatpravṛttiṃ punarjñātuṃ brahmāṇaṃ keśavaṃ gaṇān | gaṇeśvaraṃ ca devāṃśca preṣayāmāsa śūladhṛk

Translation

ولكي يستبين الأمر من جديد على تمامه، أرسل حاملُ الرمح الثلاثيّ براهما وكيشافا والغانات وغانِشڤارا وسائر الآلهة.

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनार्थे (in compound)

• प्रवृत्तिम्: the occurrence/matter
• प्रवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), हेत्वर्थे (purpose)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणान्: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गणेश्वरम्: lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानाम् ईश्वरः)

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

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• प्रेषयामास: sent/dispatched
• प्रेषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: caused to go/sent)

• शूलधृक्: the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• शूलधृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल + धृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); समासः बहुव्रीहि (शूलं धरति इति)

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda-to-Agastya style Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śūladhṛk) in commanding posture sends Brahmā, Viṣṇu (Keśava), Gaṇeśa, and gaṇas outward; the scene is a divine council with dynamic movement—messengers departing to investigate the matter.

Characters & Entities

• Śūladhṛk
• Brahmā
• Keśava
• Gaṇa
• Gaṇeśvara
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest gods participate in recognizing and affirming the unique sanctity of Kāśī—its greatness is investigated and confirmed at cosmic level.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the glorification of Kāśī, whose qualities are significant enough to warrant divine inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the verse presents a narrative frame for establishing Kāśī’s supremacy.