Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

द्वात्रिंशद्दशनश्चायं करकंबु शिरोधरः । कौंचदुंदुभिहंसाभ्र स्वरः सर्वेश्वराधिकः

Transliteration

dvātriṃśaddaśanaścāyaṃ karakaṃbu śirodharaḥ | kauṃcaduṃdubhihaṃsābhra svaraḥ sarveśvarādhikaḥ

Translation

He has thirty-two teeth; his hands are like conches; his head and neck are well formed; and his voice—like a heron, the dundubhi drum, a swan, and a cloud—is supreme, fit for lordship over all.

Word by Word

• dvātriṃśat: thirty-two
• dvātriṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvātriṃśat (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासाङ्ग (dvigu)

• daśanaḥ: teeth (set)
• daśanaḥ: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘द्वात्रिंशत्’ इति संख्याविशेषणेन विशेषितः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ayam: this (man)
• ayam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kara: hand
• kara: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• kambu: conch
• kambu: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: kambu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमानार्थ (conch-like)

• śirodharaḥ: head-bearer; having (such) head/neck
• śirodharaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras + dhara (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (śirasaḥ dharaḥ)

• kauṃca: krauncha bird
• kauṃca: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṃca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• duṃdubhi: kettledrum
• duṃdubhi: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṃdubhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• haṃsa: swan
• haṃsa: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• abhra: cloud
• abhra: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• svaraḥ: voice
• svaraḥ: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarveśvara: lord of all
• sarveśvara: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (sarveṣāṃ īśvaraḥ)

• adhikaḥ: superior to (even) the lord of all
• adhikaḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (sarveśvarāt adhikaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like depiction of an idealized noble figure: symmetrical face with complete teeth, conch-like hands, well-formed neck, and a resonant voice suggested through surrounding motifs—heron, kettle-drum, swan, and cloud as poetic sound-analogies.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Noble speech and well-ordered form are celebrated as signs of inner merit, suggesting leadership aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, but this verse does not name a specific sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists auspicious characteristics and their implied फल.