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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

काशीस्थितैर्यतो दर्शि ध्वजो मेषवृषलांछनः । वृषध्वजेन नाम्नातः स्थास्याम्यत्र पितामहाः

kāśīsthitairyato darśi dhvajo meṣavṛṣalāṃchanaḥ | vṛṣadhvajena nāmnātaḥ sthāsyāmyatra pitāmahāḥ

Parce que ceux qui demeurent à Kāśī voient mon étendard marqué du bélier et du taureau, ainsi—ô Ancêtres—je demeurerai ici, renommé sous le nom de « Vṛṣadhvaja ».

काशीKāśī
काशी:
Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकाशी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in Kāśī) / अव्ययवत् समासपूर्वपदम्
स्थितैःby those residing
स्थितैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकृत् (past participle/क्त) ‘स्थित’ (standing/residing), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘काशीस्थितैः’ इति विशेष्य (नरैः)
यतःbecause
यतः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कारण/यत्-सम्बन्धसूचक (because/wherefrom)
दर्शिis seen / visible
दर्शि:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
TypeAdjective
Rootदृश् (धातु) + इन् (कृदन्त)
Formकृदन्त (इन्-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘दर्शिन्’ = visible/seen; विधेय-विशेषणम् (ध्वजः)
ध्वजःbanner, flag
ध्वजः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
मेषवृषलाञ्छनःhaving the emblem of a ram and a bull
मेषवृषलाञ्छनः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमेष- वृष- लाञ्छन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मेषश्च वृषश्च’ इति द्वन्द्व + ‘लाञ्छन’ (mark/emblem) तत्पुरुष; समस्तपदम् विशेषणम् (ध्वजः)
वृषध्वजेनby/with (the name) Vṛṣadhvaja
वृषध्वजेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवृष-ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘वृषस्य ध्वजः’)
नाम्नाby name
नाम्ना:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
अतःtherefore
अतः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; परिणाम/हेत्वर्थक (therefore/for this reason)
स्थास्यामिI shall stay
स्थास्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (धातु)
Formलृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक (here)
पितामहाःO Pitāmahas / venerable ancestors
पितामहाः:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्भोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (O grandsires)

Vṛṣadhvaja (i.e., Śiva as ‘Bull-bannered’ Lord; self-identification in the verse)

Tirtha: Vṛṣadhvaja-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Listener: Pitṛs (addressed as ‘pitāmahaḥ’)

Scene: On a Kāśī ghat stands a tall banner-staff; the banner bears a ram and a bull insignia. Pilgrims gaze upward; the Lord’s presence is implied as a radiant aura, while pitṛs are invoked in the background.

K
Kāśī
V
Vṛṣadhvaja
D
Dhvajā (banner)
P
Pitāmahas (ancestors)
B
Bull (vṛṣa)
R
Ram (meṣa)

FAQs

Divine presence becomes locally accessible through name, form, and sign—making Kāśī a living field of darśana.

Vṛṣadhvaja—presented as a named sacred locus/tīrtha within Kāśī connected to Śiva’s emblem.

No direct prescription; it emphasizes darśana (beholding the divine sign) as a devotional act in Kāśī.