Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

भ्रमद्भ्रमरमालाभिर्मालतीभिरलंकृतम् । अलिच्छलागतंकृष्णं गोपीरंतुमनेकशः

Transliteration

bhramadbhramaramālābhirmālatībhiralaṃkṛtam | alicchalāgataṃkṛṣṇaṃ gopīraṃtumanekaśaḥ

Translation

Adorned with mālatī garlands amid swarms of whirling bees, it seemed—as if by the pretext of bees—to draw Kṛṣṇa there again and again for the delight of the gopīs.

Word by Word

• bhramad-bhramara-mālābhiḥ: with garlands of buzzing bees
• bhramad-bhramara-mālābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhramad (√bhram धातु, शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त) + bhramara (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (mālābhiḥ) with उपपद-विशेषण ‘bhramad-bhramara’ (feminine, instrumental plural; 'with garlands of roaming bees')

• mālatībhiḥ: with mālatī flowers
• mālatībhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (feminine, instrumental, plural)

• alaṃkṛtam: adorned
• alaṃkṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃ√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'adorned')

• ali-cchala-āgatam: having come under the pretext of bees
• ali-cchala-āgatam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ali (प्रातिपदिक) + chala (प्रातिपदिक) + ā√gam (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘āgata’; तत्पुरुष (neuter, nom/acc sg; 'come on the pretext of bees' / 'under guise of bees')

• kṛṣṇam: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• gopī-rantum: to sport with the gopīs
• gopī-rantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gopī (प्रातिपदिक) + √ram (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) ‘rantum’; ‘gopī’ सह (to sport with gopīs)

• anekaśaḥ: in many ways / repeatedly
• anekaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner/frequency)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (līlā-smarana-kshetra by poetic transposition)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mālatī creepers heavy with white blossoms; thick garlands; swarms of bees spiraling like dark ribbons; the scene subtly suggests Kṛṣṇa’s presence—perhaps a faint blue figure at the grove’s edge—invited again and again for gopīs’ delight.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred place is so enchanting that it evokes divine līlā imagery, turning natural beauty into a vehicle for devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred groves, poetically likened to settings fit for divine sport.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a devotional and aesthetic glorification.