Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

मृडानि सहरः क्वाऽयमध्वरो मंगलालयः । अतएव समाहूता नेह त्वं सर्वमंगले

Transliteration

mṛḍāni saharaḥ kvā'yamadhvaro maṃgalālayaḥ | ataeva samāhūtā neha tvaṃ sarvamaṃgale

Translation

O gentle one, where is this fierce, awe-inspiring Rudra, and where is this sacrifice—an abode of auspiciousness? Therefore you have been summoned: you are not to be here, O all-auspicious one.

Word by Word

• mṛḍāni: O gracious ladies / O auspicious ones
• mṛḍāni: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन

• saharaḥ: together with Hara (Śiva)
• saharaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह हरः = with Hara); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kva: where
• kva: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• adhvaraḥ: sacrifice, ritual
• adhvaraḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• maṃgala-ālayaḥ: abode of auspiciousness
• maṃgala-ālayaḥ: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃgala (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मंगलस्य आलयः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ataḥ-eva: therefore indeed
• ataḥ-eva: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय) + eva (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय + अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (therefore + indeed)

• samāhūtāḥ: have been summoned
• samāhūtāḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√hū (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with mṛḍāni)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-maṃgale: O all-auspicious one
• sarva-maṃgale: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + maṃgala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वं मंगलं यस्य/या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

A householder/elder (contextual; commenting on auspicious ceremony vs. Śiva’s terrifying aspect)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to ‘Mṛḍānī’ / ‘Sarvamaṅgalā’ (epithets used in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gentle woman (‘Mṛḍānī’) is addressed and redirected: the scene juxtaposes a fierce Rudra-imagery (shadowy, intense) with a bright yajña pavilion (orderly, auspicious), implying she should not remain in the wrong setting.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra/Śiva (implied)
• Adhvara (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly notions of ‘auspicious’ can misjudge the divine; Śiva’s seeming ferocity is not opposed to true auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references an adhvara (sacrificial rite) but gives no specific procedural prescription.