Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

त्वरावंतौ गणौ तत्र विमानादवरुह्य तौ । स्रष्टारं सर्वलोकानां तेन सार्धं प्रणेमतुः

Transliteration

tvarāvaṃtau gaṇau tatra vimānādavaruhya tau | sraṣṭāraṃ sarvalokānāṃ tena sārdhaṃ praṇematuḥ

Translation

Then those two swift-moving Gaṇas descended there from the celestial chariot and, together with him, bowed to the Creator of all the worlds.

Word by Word

• tvarā-vantau: hasty, in great haste (the two)
• tvarā-vantau: Visheshana (Adjective of gaṇau/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvarā (प्रातिपदिक) + -vant (वत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (possessing haste)

• gaṇau: the two gaṇas
• gaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• vimānāt: from the aerial car
• vimānāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (from)

• avaruhya: having descended
• avaruhya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ava-ruh (रुह् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• sraṣṭāram: the creator
• sraṣṭāram: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sraṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• sarva-lokānām: of all the worlds
• sarva-lokānām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—“सर्वेषां लोकानाम्”

• tena: with him
• tena: Sahakari (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sārdham: together (with)
• sārdham: Saha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अर्थक-अव्ययम् (preposition-like indeclinable: together with)

• praṇematuḥ: they bowed down
• praṇematuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (नम् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (narrative gateway to higher lokas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇa (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two swift gaṇas descend from a celestial vimāna; alongside the brāhmaṇa they approach Brahmā, the creator, and all three bow in unison.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa
• Vimāna
• Brahmā (implied as sraṣṭā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual ascent culminates in humility—honoring cosmic order and its presiding deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, where Kāśī’s sanctity is the underlying source of merit leading to such divine encounters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the action highlighted is praṇāma (reverential salutation).