Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

पाताले तस्य देहोस्ति मुंडं काश्यां व्यवस्थितम । अतः स गीयते काश्यां देवो मुंडविनायकः

Transliteration

pātāle tasya dehosti muṃḍaṃ kāśyāṃ vyavasthitama | ataḥ sa gīyate kāśyāṃ devo muṃḍavināyakaḥ

Translation

His body is said to be in Pātāla, while his “head” (muṇḍa) is established in Kāśī. Therefore, in Kāśī he is celebrated in song as the deity Muṇḍa-Vināyaka.

Word by Word

• pātāle: in the netherworld
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dehaḥ: body
• dehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• muṃḍam: the head (Muṇḍa)
• muṃḍam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (कर्तृपद-समन्वयः)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• vyavasthitam: situated/established
• vyavasthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ava + sthita (स्था-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (well-established/placed)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-निपातः (therefore/from this)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gīyate: is sung/celebrated
• gīyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (गै/गा-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• muṃḍa-vināyakaḥ: Muṇḍa-Vināyaka
• muṃḍa-vināyakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃḍa + vināyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुंड-नामकः विनायकः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muṇḍa-Vināyaka

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-realm depiction: subterranean Pātāla holding the unseen body of Gaṇeśa, while in Kāśī the ‘head’ (muṇḍa) is enshrined and worshipped; the two realms connected by a luminous axis.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Kāśī
• Muṇḍa-Vināyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī uniquely anchors divine presence; even cosmic or subterranean realities are linked to her sacred installations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Muṇḍa-Vināyaka’s shrine/locus in Kāśī, explained through its mythic connection to Pātāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse provides the name-etymology and sacred status supporting worship.