Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अंगानि रक्षका यत्र वरूथश्छंदसां गणः । इत्याज्ञप्ता गणास्तूर्णं रथं निन्युर्हराज्ञया

Transliteration

aṃgāni rakṣakā yatra varūthaśchaṃdasāṃ gaṇaḥ | ityājñaptā gaṇāstūrṇaṃ rathaṃ ninyurharājñayā

Translation

Là, les Aṅgas védiques faisaient office de gardiens, et une multitude de mètres (chandas) formait l’enceinte protectrice. Ainsi mandatés, les gaṇas tirèrent promptement le char en avant, selon le décret de Hari.

Word by Word

• अङ्गानि: limbs/parts
• अङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• रक्षकाः: guards/protectors
• रक्षकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (where)

• वरूथः: armor/defensive array
• वरूथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरूथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• छन्दसाम्: of the meters (Vedic hymns/meters)
• छन्दसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• गणः: group, troop
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आज्ञप्ताः: having been ordered
• आज्ञप्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √ज्ञा (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle): ‘commanded/ordered’

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

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• रथम्: the chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निन्युः: they led/brought
• निन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (√नी धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हराज्ञया: by Hara’s command
• हराज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हरस्य आज्ञया)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moving chariot surrounded by a ring of personified Vedic limbs (aṅgas) as armed guardians; chandas appear as a luminous geometric armour (varūtha) like a mandala-shield; gaṇas pull the chariot swiftly, propelled by Hari’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Chandas (Vedic metres)
• Aṅgas (Vedic auxiliaries)
• Gaṇas
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded by Vedic order—knowledge, metre, and disciplined hosts become protective forces when aligned with divine will.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s larger sacred frame, but this verse itself is not a tirtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it emphasizes Vedic structure (aṅga and chandas) as sanctifying protection.