Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । अथ मंदरकंदरोदरोल्लसद समद्युति रत्नमंदिरे । परितः समधिष्ठितामरे निजशिखरैर्वसनीकृतांबरे

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | atha maṃdarakaṃdarodarollasada samadyuti ratnamaṃdire | paritaḥ samadhiṣṭhitāmare nijaśikharairvasanīkṛtāṃbare

Translation

Skanda said: Then, within a jeweled palace shining with an even radiance, like the glow that gleams in the caverns of Mandara—surrounded on every side by the gods, and with its own peaks as though clothing the sky—

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• मन्दर-कन्दर-उदर-उल्लसत्: shining in the cavernous interior of Mandara
• मन्दर-कन्दर-उदर-उल्लसत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक) + उल्लसत् (√लस् धातु, शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचन-विशेषणरूपे प्रयुक्तम्; उल्लसत् = लस्-धातोः शतृ (present active participle)

• सम-द्युति: of equal/splendid radiance
• सम-द्युति: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचन-विशेषणरूपे; कर्मधारयः (समाना द्युतिः यस्य)

• रत्न-मन्दिरे: in the jeweled palace/temple
• रत्न-मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रत्नानां मन्दिरम्)

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Circumstantial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परितः = सर्वतः (adverb)

• समधिष्ठित-अमरे: occupied/inhabited by gods
• समधिष्ठित-अमरे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अधि + स्था (धातु) → अधिष्ठित (क्त-कृदन्त) + अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचन-विशेषण; अधिष्ठित = क्त (past passive participle)

• निज-शिखरैः: by its own peaks
• निज-शिखरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (निजानि शिखराणि)

• वसनी-कृत-अम्बरे: where the sky was made like a garment
• वसनी-कृत-अम्बरे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसनी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (क्त-कृदन्त) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त; (वसनीकृतम् अम्बरम् यस्य/यत्र)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied as the later object of longing)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant jeweled palace like Mandara’s glowing caverns; gods encircle it; towering peaks rise like garments wrapping the sky; Skanda narrates the vision.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Mandara (mountain)
• gods (amarāḥ)
• ratna-mandira (jeweled palace)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine realm is portrayed as transcendent splendor, affirming the majesty surrounding Śiva’s sacred presence connected to Kāśī’s glory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a divine setting within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered mahatmya; a specific tīrtha is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a poetic description establishing sacred atmosphere.