Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मुदंकुमुदिनीनांयस्तनोति जगता सह । दिग्वधू चारु शृंगारदर्शनादर्शमंडलः

Transliteration

mudaṃkumudinīnāṃyastanoti jagatā saha | digvadhū cāru śṛṃgāradarśanādarśamaṃḍalaḥ

Translation

Il répand la joie sur les kumudinī, les lotus qui s’épanouissent la nuit, avec le monde entier ; son disque est un miroir où se contemple la belle parure des épouses des directions.

Word by Word

• मुदम्: joy
• मुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुमुदिनीनाम्: of the water-lilies (kumudinīs)
• कुमुदिनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमुदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तनोति: spreads/extends
• तनोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जगता: with the world
• जगता: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition/adverb of accompaniment)

• दिग्वधू: the bride of the directions
• दिग्वधू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक) + वधू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः दिग् + वधू (दिशां वधूः)

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (दर्शनादर्शमण्डलः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शृंगारदर्शनादर्शमण्डलः: a disc like a mirror showing beauty/adornment
• शृंगारदर्शनादर्शमण्डलः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्गार (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—शृङ्गारस्य दर्शनम्, तस्य आदर्शः, तस्य मण्डलम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues, commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / interlocutor(s)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Moonlight opening kumudinis (night lotuses) across a lake/river; the Moon’s disc reflecting the adorned ‘brides of the directions’—personified quarters wearing jewelry and garments, seen as if in a mirror.

Characters & Entities

• Candramā (Moon)
• Kumudinī (night lotus)
• Dik (Directions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred beauty is not mere ornament—it uplifts the world, awakening joy and harmony in nature and space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is identified in this verse; it functions as cosmic praise within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a celebratory description (stuti) of the Moon’s beneficent presence.