Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

दण्डनायकमुख्यांश्च गणान्स्तुत्वा प्रयत्नतः । आदिकेशवमुख्यांश्च केशवान्परितोष्य च

Transliteration

daṇḍanāyakamukhyāṃśca gaṇānstutvā prayatnataḥ | ādikeśavamukhyāṃśca keśavānparitoṣya ca

Translation

Mit allem Eifer pries er die Gaṇas unter Führung von Daṇḍanāyaka und erfreute ebenso die Keśavas, deren Haupt Ādikeśava ist,

Word by Word

• दण्डनायकमुख्यान्: (the gaṇas) headed by Daṇḍanāyaka
• दण्डनायकमुख्यान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of गणान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डनायक + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘दण्डनायकः’ + ‘मुख्य’) = headed by Daṇḍanāyaka

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

• गणान्: the gaṇas (attendant deities)
• गणान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort; diligently
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial ablative) = ‘with effort/diligently’

• आदिकेशवमुख्यान्: (the Keśavas) headed by Ādikeśava
• आदिकेशवमुख्यान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of केशवान्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदिकेशव + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘आदिकेशव’ + ‘मुख्य’) = headed by Ādikeśava

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

• केशवान्: the Keśavas (Viṣṇu forms)
• केशवान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

• परितोष्य: having pleased
• परितोष्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-तुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); causative sense possible by context ‘having pleased/satisfied’

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ādikeśava and other Keśava-sthānas in Kāśī; Gaṇa-sthānas led by Daṇḍanāyaka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hymn-scene: the pilgrim praises a retinue of gaṇas led by Daṇḍanāyaka, then proceeds to a serene Ādikeśava shrine, offering tulasī and lamps, showing harmony of fierce guardianship and calm Vaiṣṇava grace.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍanāyaka
• Gaṇas
• Ādikeśava
• Keśava (Viṣṇu forms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s dharma embraces both Śaiva guardians (Gaṇas) and Vaiṣṇava presences (Keśavas), presenting pilgrimage as comprehensive reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred stations associated with Daṇḍanāyaka and the prominent Viṣṇu shrine Ādikeśava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (hymnic praise) of the Gaṇas and acts of propitiation/pleasing (paritoṣa) toward the Keśava forms.