Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । इति गंधवती पुर्याः स्वरूपं ते निरूपितम् । तस्याः प्राच्यां कुबेरस्य श्रीमत्येषालकापुरी

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | iti gaṃdhavatī puryāḥ svarūpaṃ te nirūpitam | tasyāḥ prācyāṃ kuberasya śrīmatyeṣālakāpurī

Translation

Para Gaṇa berkata: “Demikianlah hakikat Kota Harum (Gandhavatī) telah kami jelaskan kepadamu. Di sebelah timurnya terletak kota Kubera yang mulia—Alakāpurī.”

Word by Word

• गणाः: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचतुः: said (the two said)
• ऊचतुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• गन्धवती: fragrant
• गन्धवती: विशेषण (Qualifier of पुरी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धवत्/गन्धवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• पुर्याः: of the city
• पुर्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वरूपम्: nature, form
• स्वरूपम्: कर्म (Object; of निरूपितम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम

• निरूपितम्: has been described
• निरूपितम्: क्रिया (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-रूप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (passive predication: ‘has been described’)

• तस्याः: of that (city)
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• प्राच्याम्: in the east
• प्राच्याम्: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुबेरस्य: of Kubera
• कुबेरस्य: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रीमती: splendid, illustrious
• श्रीमती: विशेषण (Qualifier of अलकापुरी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• एषा: this
• एषा: कर्ता (Subject; demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• अलकापुरी: Alakā city
• अलकापुरी: प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध (Predicate nominative/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलका-पुरī (प्रातिपदिक; अलका + पुरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (name: ‘city of Alakā’)

Speaker

Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhavatī-purī (contextual sacred city within Kāśī description)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘te’ (the addressed recipient within the narrative; likely a sage/pilgrim interlocutor in the chapter’s frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s gaṇas speak as guides, describing Gandhavatī-purī and pointing eastward to the splendid Alakā of Kubera—depicted as a jeweled celestial city beyond the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Gandhavatī-purī
• Kubera
• Alakā-purī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching often uses sacred geography to frame devotion—mapping divine realms around holy cities to intensify reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhavatī-purī (a celebrated sacred city/realm in the narrative), with reference to Alakā-purī of Kubera.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is descriptive (geographic/cosmographic).