Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

इत्यादयो गणेशानाः शतकोटि दुरासदाः । काश्यां निवारयामासुरपि प्राभंजनीं गतिम्

Transliteration

ityādayo gaṇeśānāḥ śatakoṭi durāsadāḥ | kāśyāṃ nivārayāmāsurapi prābhaṃjanīṃ gatim

Translation

هكذا، ومعهم غيرُهم كثير، كان سادةُ الغَنات—مئاتُ الكُرور، لا يُدانَون. وفي كاشي كفّوا حتى الاندفاعَ العاصفَ السريع، فأوقفوا مجراه نفسه.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—इत्यर्थक/उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (thus)

• आदयः: and others
• आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ शब्दस्य बहुवचन—(and others, etc.)

• गणेशानाः: the Gaṇeśānas
• गणेशानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संज्ञा—गणेशान (a class of Gaṇeśa-like beings)

• शतकोटि: a hundred crores
• शतकोटि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कोटि-शब्दानुसार), प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास—संख्यावाचक (a hundred crores)

• दुरासदाः: hard to approach
• दुरासदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + आ-सद् (धातु) → दुरासद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—दुर्-उपसर्गयुक्त (hard to approach/assail)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (in Kāśī)

• निवारयामासुः: they restrained; they stopped
• निवारयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृ (धातु) caus. निवारयति; लिट् (परस्मैपद) बहुवचन 3rd
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; causative (णिच्)—‘they caused to stop/they restrained’

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Emphasis/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• प्राभञ्जनीम्: storm-like; impetuous
• प्राभञ्जनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभञ्जनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘प्रभञ्जन-सम्बन्धिनी’ (storm-like; wind-driven)

• गतिम्: movement; course
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (movement/course)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An immeasurable host—‘hundreds of crores’—of gaṇa-lords forming a living barricade around Kāśī, halting even a tempest-like charge; the city appears as a luminous sanctum with a storm arrested at its threshold.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Gaṇas
• Śiva (implied)
• Prabhañjana (wind, implied by prābhaṃjanī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Kāśī is inseparable from divine guardianship—where Dharma is supreme, even overwhelming forces are checked.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) explicitly, celebrated as a city defended by innumerable gaṇa-lords.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes protection and inviolability rather than a specific rite.