Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । एता वारविलासिन्यो यज्ञभाजां प्रियंकराः । गीतज्ञा नृत्यकुशला वाद्यविद्या विचक्षणाः

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | etā vāravilāsinyo yajñabhājāṃ priyaṃkarāḥ | gītajñā nṛtyakuśalā vādyavidyā vicakṣaṇāḥ

Translation

The two attendants (gaṇas) said: “These are courtesans of the city—delighters of those who have earned sacrificial merit; skilled in song, adept in dance, and discerning in the arts of instrumental music.”

Word by Word

• गणाः: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणाः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचतुः: said (the two)
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वारविलासिन्यः: courtesans
• वारविलासिन्यः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारा (प्रातिपदिक) + विलासिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (वारायां विलासिन्यः/वारासु विलासिन्यः—courtesans); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यज्ञभाजाम्: of the recipients of sacrifices
• यज्ञभाजाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (भाज् + क्विप्/अच्—भाज् ‘भागी’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘यज्ञभाज्’ = यज्ञभागी (one who receives sacrificial share)

• प्रियंकराः: pleasing
• प्रियंकराः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (प्रियं करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (एताः/स्त्रियः)

• गीतज्ञाः: skilled in singing
• गीतज्ञाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (गीते ज्ञाः/गीतं जानन्ति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• नृत्यकुशलाः: expert in dance
• नृत्यकुशलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (नृत्ये कुशलाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वाद्यविद्याः: having knowledge of instruments
• वाद्यविद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (वाद्यस्य विद्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणभावेन (instrumental-music knowledge)

• विचक्षणाः: clever
• विचक्षणाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Gaṇas (two attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śivaśarmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two gaṇas (attendants) explain to Śivaśarmā that the women are city courtesans—celestial entertainers—shown singing, dancing, and playing instruments in a luminous hall.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• yajñabhājām (sacrificers/meritorious persons)
• vāravilāsinyaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit from yajña is depicted as yielding refined celestial enjoyments; pleasures are framed as results of karma rather than random fortune.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting; this verse describes a celestial locale rather than a named terrestrial tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña is referenced as the source of merit (yajñabhājām), but no specific sacrifice is prescribed here.