Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 210

Devanagari script

नारायणस्वरूपेण गणाश्चक्रगदोद्यताः । कुर्वंति रक्षां क्षेत्रस्य परितो नियुतानि षट्

Transliteration

nārāyaṇasvarūpeṇa gaṇāścakragadodyatāḥ | kurvaṃti rakṣāṃ kṣetrasya parito niyutāni ṣaṭ

Translation

Sous la forme de Nārāyaṇa, les gaṇas—brandissant disque et massue—assurent la garde du lieu sacré de toutes parts, au nombre de six niyutas.

Word by Word

• नारायणस्वरूपेण: in the form of Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणस्वरूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण-स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक; नारायण + स्वरूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नारायणस्य स्वरूपम्)

• गणाः: the attendants/hosts
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• चक्रगदोद्यताः: with discus and mace raised
• चक्रगदोद्यताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्र-गदा-उद्यत (प्रातिपदिक; चक्र + गदा + उद्यत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वितीया/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (चक्रं गदां च उद्यताः = holding raised discus and mace)

• कुर्वन्ति: they do/perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• रक्षाम्: protection
• रक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred field (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• परितः: around
• परितः: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘around’)

• नियुतानि: in tens of thousands
• नियुतानि: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणार्थे (as numeral-adjective: ‘ten-thousands’)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like numeral)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda teaching Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous ring around Kāśī: six vast hosts of gaṇas, each assuming Nārāyaṇa-like form with cakra and gadā raised, stationed at the cardinal and intercardinal directions, forming a protective mandala around the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Gaṇas
• Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Kāśī is reinforced by the idea of cosmic guardianship—divine forces actively protect the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single tīrtha, but the entire Kāśī-kṣetra, described as being guarded on all sides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing protection of the sacred field.