Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

पाताले तस्य देहोस्ति मुंडं काश्यां व्यवस्थितम । अतः स गीयते काश्यां देवो मुंडविनायकः

Transliteration

pātāle tasya dehosti muṃḍaṃ kāśyāṃ vyavasthitama | ataḥ sa gīyate kāśyāṃ devo muṃḍavināyakaḥ

Translation

On dit que son corps est en Pātāla, tandis que sa « tête » (muṇḍa) est établie à Kāśī. C’est pourquoi, à Kāśī, on le célèbre en chantant comme le dieu Muṇḍa-Vināyaka.

Word by Word

• pātāle: in the netherworld
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dehaḥ: body
• dehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• muṃḍam: the head (Muṇḍa)
• muṃḍam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (कर्तृपद-समन्वयः)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• vyavasthitam: situated/established
• vyavasthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + ava + sthita (स्था-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (well-established/placed)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-निपातः (therefore/from this)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gīyate: is sung/celebrated
• gīyate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gai (गै/गा-धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• muṃḍa-vināyakaḥ: Muṇḍa-Vināyaka
• muṃḍa-vināyakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muṃḍa + vināyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मुंड-नामकः विनायकः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Muṇḍa-Vināyaka

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-realm depiction: subterranean Pātāla holding the unseen body of Gaṇeśa, while in Kāśī the ‘head’ (muṇḍa) is enshrined and worshipped; the two realms connected by a luminous axis.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Kāśī
• Muṇḍa-Vināyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī uniquely anchors divine presence; even cosmic or subterranean realities are linked to her sacred installations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Muṇḍa-Vināyaka’s shrine/locus in Kāśī, explained through its mythic connection to Pātāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse provides the name-etymology and sacred status supporting worship.