Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अग्निर्मकरतुंडश्च रथभूः कौमुदीमयी । ध्वजदंडो महामेरुः पताका हस्करप्रभा

Transliteration

agnirmakaratuṃḍaśca rathabhūḥ kaumudīmayī | dhvajadaṃḍo mahāmeruḥ patākā haskaraprabhā

Translation

Là se tiennent Agni et la puissance au visage de Makara ; le sol du char est fait de clarté lunaire. La hampe de l’étendard est comme le grand Meru, et la bannière rayonne d’un éclat resplendissant.

Word by Word

• अग्निः: fire (Agni)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मकरतुंडः: one with a makara-like snout
• मकरतुंडः: Karta (Co-subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मकर-तुण्डः = 'makara-snouted')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• रथभूः: the chariot-base/ground
• रथभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रथस्य भूः = 'ground/base of the chariot')

• कौमुदीमयी: consisting of moonlight/kaumudī
• कौमुदीमयी: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौमुदी (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मयट्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (made of/consisting of)

• ध्वजदण्डः: flagstaff
• ध्वजदण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ध्वजस्य दण्डः)

• महामेरुः: great Meru (mountain)
• महामेरुः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मेरुः)

• पताका: banner, flag
• पताका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हस्करप्रभा: having the radiance of the sun
• हस्करप्रभा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हस्करस्य प्रभा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (utsava-bhūmi symbolism)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine procession ground in Kāśī glowing with moonlight; Agni personified at the forefront; a makara-faced emblematic power near the chariot; an immense flagstaff rising like Mount Meru with a blazing banner fluttering above the city skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Makara (symbolic)
• Meru
• Kāśī (implied by section context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holy city is portrayed as a cosmic spectacle where divine powers and symbols (Agni, Meru-like axis) manifest for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described through grand cosmic metaphors of procession and axis-mountain imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it is primarily a māhātmya-style visualization meant to inspire reverence and devotion.