Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

आदित्यं द्रौपदीं विष्णुं दंडपाणिं महेश्वरम् । नमस्कृत्य ततो गच्छेद्द्रष्टुं ढुंढिविनायकम्

Transliteration

ādityaṃ draupadīṃ viṣṇuṃ daṃḍapāṇiṃ maheśvaram | namaskṛtya tato gaccheddraṣṭuṃ ḍhuṃḍhivināyakam

Translation

Après avoir rendu hommage à Āditya, Draupadī, Viṣṇu, Daṇḍapāṇi et Maheśvara, qu’il se mette ensuite en route pour contempler Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka.

Word by Word

• आदित्यम्: Āditya (Sun)
• आदित्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• द्रौपदीम्: Draupadī
• द्रौपदीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• दंडपाणिम्: Daṇḍapāṇi
• दंडपाणिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक; दण्ड + पाणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दण्डः पाणौ यस्य/दण्डपाणिः)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारय—‘महान् ईश्वरः’

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); धातु—कृ (to do) उपपद—नमस्; अर्थः—‘नमस्कारं कृत्वा’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु—गम् (to go)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); धातु—दृश् (to see); प्रयोजन (purpose)

• ढुंढिविनायकम्: Ḍhuṃḍhi-Vināyaka
• ढुंढिविनायकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ढुंढि-विनायक (प्रातिपदिक; ढुंढि + विनायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव (name-compound)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks through narrow lanes of Kāśī, pausing at small shrines: a sun emblem for Āditya, a modest Devī shrine for Draupadī, a Viṣṇu shrine, a stern Daṇḍapāṇi guardian figure with staff, a Śiva liṅga for Maheśvara; then arrives at Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka’s Gaṇeśa shrine adorned with durvā and sindūra.

Characters & Entities

• Āditya
• Draupadī
• Viṣṇu
• Daṇḍapāṇi
• Maheśvara
• Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-yātrā proceeds through reverent, ordered darśana—honoring multiple deities while culminating in auspicious beginnings through Vināyaka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka is explicitly named, a major Gaṇeśa shrine in Kāśī’s pilgrimage map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer namaskāra to the listed deities and then go for darśana of Ḍhuṃḍhivināyaka.