Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अग्निर्मकरतुंडश्च रथभूः कौमुदीमयी । ध्वजदंडो महामेरुः पताका हस्करप्रभा

Transliteration

agnirmakaratuṃḍaśca rathabhūḥ kaumudīmayī | dhvajadaṃḍo mahāmeruḥ patākā haskaraprabhā

Translation

هناك يحضر أغني (Agni) والقوة ذات وجه المَكَرَة (Makara)؛ وأرض العربة من نورٍ قمريّ. وسارية الراية كجبل ميرو العظيم، والراية تتلألأ ببهاءٍ ساطع.

Word by Word

• अग्निः: fire (Agni)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मकरतुंडः: one with a makara-like snout
• मकरतुंडः: Karta (Co-subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मकर-तुण्डः = 'makara-snouted')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• रथभूः: the chariot-base/ground
• रथभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रथस्य भूः = 'ground/base of the chariot')

• कौमुदीमयी: consisting of moonlight/kaumudī
• कौमुदीमयी: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमुदी (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (made of/consisting of)

• ध्वजदण्डः: flagstaff
• ध्वजदण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ध्वजस्य दण्डः)

• महामेरुः: great Meru (mountain)
• महामेरुः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मेरुः)

• पताका: banner, flag
• पताका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हस्करप्रभा: having the radiance of the sun
• हस्करप्रभा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हस्करस्य प्रभा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (utsava-bhūmi symbolism)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine procession ground in Kāśī glowing with moonlight; Agni personified at the forefront; a makara-faced emblematic power near the chariot; an immense flagstaff rising like Mount Meru with a blazing banner fluttering above the city skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Makara (symbolic)
• Meru
• Kāśī (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holy city is portrayed as a cosmic spectacle where divine powers and symbols (Agni, Meru-like axis) manifest for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described through grand cosmic metaphors of procession and axis-mountain imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it is primarily a māhātmya-style visualization meant to inspire reverence and devotion.