Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । पुराऽसौ भृगुदायादो गत्वा वाराणसीं पुरीम् । अंडजस्वेदजोद्भिज्जजरायुज गतिप्रदाम्

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | purā'sau bhṛgudāyādo gatvā vārāṇasīṃ purīm | aṃḍajasvedajodbhijjajarāyuja gatipradām

Translation

The Gaṇas said: “Formerly, that heir of Bhṛgu went to the city of Vārāṇasī, bestower of the highest course for all beings—egg-born, sweat-born, sprout-born, and womb-born.”

Word by Word

• गणाः: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), बहुवचन (pl.)

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (du.); परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• असौ: that man, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); सर्वनाम

• भृगुदायादः: a descendant of Bhṛgu
• भृगुदायादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu + dāyāda (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bhṛgoḥ dāyādaḥ = descendant of Bhṛgu)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāṇasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); स्थाननाम (place name)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.)

• अण्डज: egg-born beings
• अण्डज: Sambandha (Enumeration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṇḍaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); समुच्चय-निर्देशे (as member in list)

• स्वेदज: sweat-born beings
• स्वेदज: Sambandha (Enumeration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svedaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); समुच्चय-निर्देशे

• उद्भिज्ज: sprout-born (plants)
• उद्भिज्ज: Sambandha (Enumeration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udbhijja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); समुच्चय-निर्देशे

• जरायुज: womb-born beings
• जरायुज: Sambandha (Enumeration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jarāyuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (sg.); समुच्चय-निर्देशे

• गतिप्रदाम्: granting a path/deliverance
• गतिप्रदाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gati + pradā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (sg.); उपपद-तत्पुरुष (gatiṃ pradadāti iti = giver of movement/way); विशेषण (qualifying Vārāṇasīm/purīm)

Speaker

Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāṇasī / Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suvrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Gaṇas narrate Śukra’s arrival in Vārāṇasī, depicted as a luminous city whose sanctity embraces all forms of life—birds, insects, plants, mammals—symbolically gathered under Kāśī’s protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Bhṛgu
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as universally salvific—granting auspicious destiny beyond birth-category distinctions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) itself—the paramount śiva-kṣetra and gati-pradā city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit here; the verse introduces pilgrimage to Kāśī as the foundational act.