Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

सर्जार्जुनांजनैर्बीजैर्व्यजनैर्वीज्यमानवत् । नारिकेलैः सखर्जूरैर्धृतच्छत्रमिवांबरे

Transliteration

sarjārjunāṃjanairbījairvyajanairvījyamānavat | nārikelaiḥ sakharjūrairdhṛtacchatramivāṃbare

Translation

With sārja, arjuna, and añjana trees and their seeds, it looked as if fanned by whisks; with coconut palms and date trees, it appeared as though parasols were held aloft in the sky above.

Word by Word

• sarja-arjuna-aṃjanaiḥ: with sarja-, arjuna-, and aṃjana-(trees)
• sarja-arjuna-aṃjanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarja (प्रातिपदिक) + arjuna (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहार/इतरेतर), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे बहुवचनप्रयोगः, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• bījaiḥ: with seeds
• bījaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• vyajanaiḥ: with fans
• vyajanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyajana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• vījyamāna-vat: as if being fanned
• vījyamāna-vat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vīj (धातु) + -māna (कृदन्त) + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (कर्मणि, शानच्: vījyamāna ‘being fanned’) + वत्-प्रत्यय (तुल्यत्वे), अव्ययवत्/विशेषणरूपेण — ‘as if being fanned’

• nārikelaiḥ: with coconuts
• nārikelaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārikelā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• sa-kharjūraiḥ: together with dates (kharjūras)
• sa-kharjūraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + kharjūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः (‘सह खर्जूरैः’), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• dhṛta-chatram: a held umbrella
• dhṛta-chatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛta (कृदन्त; √dhṛ धातु) + chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (कर्मधारय/कृत-तत्पुरुष: ‘धृतं छत्रं यस्य’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन — accusative singular (as simile-target)

• iva: like, as if
• iva: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय

• ambare: in the sky
• ambare: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) एकवचन — locative singular

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vista of Kāśī where tall coconut palms and date trees form parasols against the sky; sārja, arjuna, and añjana trees sway like cāmara whisks fanning an unseen royal deity—Śiva enthroned in the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Arjuna tree
• Nārikela (coconut)
• Kharjūra (date palm)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is treated like a royal sanctuary for devotees—nature itself provides service, comfort, and honor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, envisioned as a divinely tended realm with ceremonial grandeur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses royal-service metaphors (fans and parasols) to magnify the kṣetra’s glory.