Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

क्षरंत इव मातंगाः स्रवंत इव पर्वताः । मदेन धातुरागेण मिश्रैः शुशुभिरे गणाः

Transliteration

kṣaraṃta iva mātaṃgāḥ sravaṃta iva parvatāḥ | madena dhāturāgeṇa miśraiḥ śuśubhire gaṇāḥ

Translation

The Gaṇas shone—like elephants oozing rut, like mountains seeping streams—smeared with mingled hues of intoxication and mineral-red flow.

Word by Word

• क्षरन्तः: (they) dripping/oozing
• क्षरन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• इव: like, as if
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• मातङ्गाः: elephants
• मातङ्गाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्रवन्तः: flowing
• स्रवन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle, शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तरि

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मदेन: with/through rut, intoxication
• मदेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• धातुरागेण: with mineral-red pigment
• धातुरागेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive tatpuruṣa: धातोः रागः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मिश्रैः: mixed (with)
• मिश्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• शुशुभिरे: shone, appeared splendid
• शुशुभिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• गणाः: the troops/gaṇas
• गणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration traditionally Skanda → Agastya)

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa uses nature-similes to convey the overwhelming, world-like force of divine attendants, suggesting that cosmic order expresses itself even through fierce forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī framework, but this verse is not a direct description of a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.