Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अग्निजिह्वोस्ति वेतालस्तस्या देव्यास्तु नैरृते । ददाति वांछितां सिद्धिं सोर्चितो भौमवासरे

Transliteration

agnijihvosti vetālastasyā devyāstu nairṛte | dadāti vāṃchitāṃ siddhiṃ sorcito bhaumavāsare

Translation

Im südwestlichen Bereich des heiligen Umkreises jener Göttin befindet sich ein Vetāla namens Agnijihva. Wird er am Dienstag verehrt, verleiht er die ersehnte Siddhi.

Word by Word

• अग्निजिह्वः: (one named) Agnijihva
• अग्निजिह्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (agnijihvā = अग्नेः जिह्वा यस्य/अग्निजिह्वा)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेतालः: a Vetāla (spirit)
• वेतालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• नैरृते: in the south-west (quarter)
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशि/कोणे (south-west)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वांछिताम्: desired
• वांछिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सिद्धिम्)

• सिद्धिम्: success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अर्चितः: worshipped
• अर्चितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अर्च् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• भौमवासरे: on Tuesday (Mars-day)
• भौमवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भौम (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भौमस्य वासरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twilight view of Kāśī’s Devī precinct; in the south-west corner stands Vetāla Agnijihva—fierce yet controlled—receiving Tuesday worship: red flowers, lamp-flame, and a protective circle of mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Agnijihva
• Vetāla
• Devī
• Kāśī
• Nairṛta (south-west)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred landscape includes appointed powers; when approached with proper day and devotion, they become channels for attaining legitimate aims (siddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates a guardian Vetāla within the sacred directional geography connected to the Goddess in Kāśī (Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sthala-mahātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Agnijihva Vetāla specifically on Tuesday (bhaumavāra) for desired accomplishment.