Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

चतुर्थावरणे काश्यां भक्तविघ्नविनाशकाः । द्रष्टव्या हृष्टचेतोभिः स्पष्टमष्टौ विनायकाः

Transliteration

caturthāvaraṇe kāśyāṃ bhaktavighnavināśakāḥ | draṣṭavyā hṛṣṭacetobhiḥ spaṣṭamaṣṭau vināyakāḥ

Translation

Dans la quatrième enceinte sacrée de Kāśī se manifestent clairement huit Vināyakas, destructeurs d’obstacles pour les dévots, qu’il faut contempler le cœur réjoui.

Word by Word

• caturtha-āvaraṇe: in the fourth enclosure/circuit
• caturtha-āvaraṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (चतुर्थम् आवरणम्)

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

• bhakta-vighna-vināśakāḥ: destroyers of devotees' obstacles
• bhakta-vighna-vināśakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भक्तानां विघ्न-विनाशकाः)

• draṣṭavyāḥ: to be seen; should be visited
• draṣṭavyāḥ: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → draṣṭavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (they should be seen)

• hṛṣṭa-cetobhiḥ: by those whose minds are delighted
• hṛṣṭa-cetobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/instrumental), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि (हृष्टं चेतः येषां ते)

• spaṣṭam: clearly
• spaṣṭam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: spaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (clearly)

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (विशेष्य-सङ्ख्या)

• vināyakāḥ: Vināyakas (Gaṇeśa-forms)
• vināyakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vināyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caturtha-āvaraṇa Aṣṭa-Vināyaka-darśana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience within Kāśī-māhātmya frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet devotional panorama of Kāśī’s fourth enclosure: eight Vināyaka shrines placed around a sacred circuit; pilgrims move in sequence with joyful faces, carrying lamps and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Aṣṭa Vināyaka
• Vināyaka (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage (darśana) undertaken with a joyful, faithful mind is celebrated as a remover of obstacles through the grace of Kāśī’s Vināyakas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s ‘fourth āvaraṇa’—a defined sacred enclosure/circuit where the eight Vināyakas are to be visited.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana/visitation is prescribed: the eight Vināyakas ‘should be beheld’ (draṣṭavyāḥ) with gladness.