Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । घंटाकर्णे गणे याते प्रयाते च महोदरे । विसिस्माय स्मरद्वेष्टा मौलिमांदोलयन्मुहुः

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | ghaṃṭākarṇe gaṇe yāte prayāte ca mahodare | visismāya smaradveṣṭā maulimāṃdolayanmuhuḥ

Translation

स्कन्द बोले—जब घण्टाकर्ण का गण चला गया और महोदर भी प्रस्थान कर गया, तब स्मर-वैरि (शिव) विस्मित हो गए और बार-बार अपना मस्तक हिलाने लगे।

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• घण्टाकर्णे: at Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घण्टाकर्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टा + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गणे: when the troop/gaṇa
• गणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• याते: having gone
• याते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (gone) used as locative absolute with 'गणे'; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयाते: having departed
• प्रयाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; 'गणे' इत्यनेन सह सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• महोदरे: O Mahodara
• महोदरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विसिस्माय: marvelled/was astonished
• विसिस्माय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्मि (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्मरद्वेष्टा: the hater of Smara (Śiva)
• स्मरद्वेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर + द्वेष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मौलिम्: his head/crest
• मौलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आन्दोलयन्: shaking/swaying
• आन्दोलयन्: Kriya (Concurrent action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दुल्/दोल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṇṭākarṇa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya and the sages (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda narrates: the Gaṇṭākarṇa gaṇa and Mahodara depart; Śiva (Smara-dveṣṭā) stands contemplative, repeatedly shaking His head in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Gaṇṭākarṇa (gaṇa)
• Mahodara
• Śiva (Smaradveṣṭṛ)
• Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Śiva’s wondrous response underscores the extraordinary, mystery-laden sanctity woven into Kāśī’s sacred accounts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within the Gaṇṭākarṇa–Mahodara Kāśī context, implicitly continuing the praise of Kāśī’s tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; this verse shifts into narrative description.