Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

नत्वा विनायकान्सर्वान्गौरीः सर्वाः प्रणम्य च । संपूज्य कालराजं च भैरवं पापभक्षणम्

Transliteration

natvā vināyakānsarvāngaurīḥ sarvāḥ praṇamya ca | saṃpūjya kālarājaṃ ca bhairavaṃ pāpabhakṣaṇam

Translation

Nachdem er sich vor allen Vināyakas verneigt und alle Gaurīs gegrüßt hatte und Kālarāja sowie Bhairava, den Sündenverzehrer, gebührend verehrt hatte,

Word by Word

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• विनायकान्: the Vināyakas (Gaṇeśa forms)
• विनायकान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of विनायकान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• गौरीः: the Gaurīs (forms of Goddess)
• गौरीः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier of गौरीः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रणम्य: having saluted
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• कालराजम्: Kālarāja (the Lord of Time/Death)
• कालराजम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘कालः एव राजा’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• भैरवम्: Bhairava
• भैरवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• पापभक्षणम्: the devourer/destroyer of sins
• पापभक्षणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of भैरवम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पापस्य भक्षणम्’ = sin-destroyer)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī Vināyaka-sthānas; Gaurī-sthānas; Kāla Bhairava/Kālarāja

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim moves shrine to shrine: first Gaṇeśa images at gateways, then Gaurī forms in small sanctums, finally a fierce Bhairava with dog-vāhana; lamps flare as ‘sin-devouring’ is invoked.

Characters & Entities

• Vināyaka
• Gaurī
• Kālarāja
• Bhairava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī devotion is integrative: honoring Gaṇeśa, the Goddess, and fierce protectors like Bhairava supports purification and unobstructed worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the sacred religious landscape of Kāśī through its Vināyaka, Gaurī, and Bhairava cultic stations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇāma to Vināyakas and Gaurīs and formal pūjā to Kālarāja and Bhairava.