Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विष्णुमायाप्रपंचं च किमाह गरुडध्वजम् । के के च शंभुना सार्धं समीयुर्मंदराद्गिरेः

Transliteration

viṣṇumāyāprapaṃcaṃ ca kimāha garuḍadhvajam | ke ke ca śaṃbhunā sārdhaṃ samīyurmaṃdarādgireḥ

Translation

And what did he say to the One whose banner is Garuḍa about the manifold workings of Viṣṇu’s māyā? And who all went together with Śambhu from Mount Mandara?

Word by Word

• विष्णु-माया-प्रपञ्चम्: the manifestation of Viṣṇu’s māyā
• विष्णु-माया-प्रपञ्चम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: विष्णोः मायायाः प्रपञ्चः = the display/expanse of Viṣṇu’s māyā)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Interrogative object/प्रश्नकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Speech/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/आह् (धातु: √अह् ‘to say’, perfect stem आह)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गरुड-ध्वजम्: the one with Garuḍa as his banner (Viṣṇu)
• गरुड-ध्वजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य = he whose banner is Garuḍa; i.e., Viṣṇu)

• के: who (all)
• के: Karta (Interrogative subject/प्रश्नकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• के: who (in particular)
• के: Karta (Interrogative subject/प्रश्नकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis/distribution)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• शम्भुना: with Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुना: Sahakarana (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: सहवाचक अव्यय (adverb meaning ‘together with’)

• समीयुः: came together, assembled
• समीयुः: Kriya (Motion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मन्दरात्: from Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (पर्वतनाम), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• गिरेः: of the mountain
• गिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-giri

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya asks: what was said about Viṣṇu’s māyā to Garuḍadhvaja, and which beings accompanied Śambhu from Mount Mandara—suggesting a grand procession leaving a sacred mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (Śambhu)
• Garuḍadhvaja (Viṣṇu)
• Mandara Mountain

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching invites inquiry into māyā and divine intention, while portraying coordinated action among deities and their retinues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse references Mandara Mountain; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa it serves as narrative backdrop connected to Kāśī’s larger māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for details of the episode.