Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

महावातपताकं च महाबुद्ध्यक्षलक्षितम् । नर्मदालकनंदा च यत्रेषादंडतांगते

Transliteration

mahāvātapatākaṃ ca mahābuddhyakṣalakṣitam | narmadālakanaṃdā ca yatreṣādaṃḍatāṃgate

Translation

(Amenez ce vimāna) aux grandes bannières battues par le vent, marqué des signes d’une intelligence immense; et là, la Narmadā, l’Alakanandā et d’autres cours d’eau sacrés étaient présents, comme ayant pris la forme de ses pièces semblables à un bâton.

Word by Word

• महावातपताकम्: with a great wind-banner
• महावातपताकम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वात (प्रातिपदिक) + पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महती वातपताका यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• महाबुद्ध्यक्षलक्षितम्: marked by great-intelligence ‘eyes’/axles
• महाबुद्ध्यक्षलक्षितम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महाबुद्ध्या अक्षैः लक्षितम्/marked by great-intelligence eyes); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अलकनन्दा: Alakanandā
• अलकनन्दा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलकनन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दण्डताम्: the state of being punished/rod-ness
• दण्डताम्: Gati-karman (गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गते: when (she) had gone/after going
• गते: Sati-saptamī (सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) प्रयोगः; सप्तमी-एकवचन/प्रथमा-द्विवचन-रूपसदृशम्; अत्र 'गते' = 'गते (सति)' लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (locative absolute)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced as continuation of command)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (universal tīrtha nexus) with invoked rivers Narmadā and Alakanandā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśī discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal vimāna with wind-whipped banners and emblems of ‘great intelligence’; along its staff-like fittings appear personified river-goddesses—Narmadā and Alakanandā—flowing as living streams integrated into the vehicle’s structure.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇas
• Vimāna
• Narmadā
• Alakanandā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic imagery unites sacred geography (holy rivers) with divine action, teaching that sanctity accompanies the Lord’s instruments and paths.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within Kāśī’s māhātmya, while invoking pan-Indian tīrtha power through rivers like Narmadā and Alakanandā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse is descriptive, highlighting sacred-river symbolism embedded in divine conveyance.