Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छन्ददर्शाग्रे हृष्टपुष्टजनावृतम् । पिचंडिलैः स्थूलवक्त्रैर्मेघगंभीरनिःस्वनैः

Transliteration

tato gacchandadarśāgre hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanāvṛtam | picaṃḍilaiḥ sthūlavaktrairmeghagaṃbhīraniḥsvanaiḥ

Translation

Puis, tandis qu’ils avançaient, il vit devant lui une contrée remplie d’êtres joyeux et bien nourris, au visage large et robuste, dont les voix résonnaient, profondes comme le tonnerre des nuées.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Desha (Time/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from there/then)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent of seeing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अग्रे: in front/ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative adverb)

• हृष्ट-पुष्ट-जन-आवृतम्: surrounded by joyful, well-fed people
• हृष्ट-पुष्ट-जन-आवृतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (√वृ, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (हृष्टैः पुष्टैः जनैः आवृतम्)

• पिचण्डिलैः: by/with picaṇḍilas (a class of beings)
• पिचण्डिलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिचण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्थूल-वक्त्रैः: with large faces
• स्थूल-वक्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (स्थूलं वक्त्रं येषाम्)

• मेघ-गंभीर-निःस्वनैः: with thunder-deep sounds
• मेघ-गंभीर-निःस्वनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक) + निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (मेघवत् गंभीरः निःस्वनः येषाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright, bustling region ahead: well-fed, jubilant beings with stout faces; their voices roll like thunderclouds, suggesting power and collective presence.

Characters & Entities

• Guhyaka-loka (implied next)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology portrays varied realms; outward conditions reflect inner and karmic causes explained in subsequent verses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a descriptive passage about a non-earthly realm within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.