Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

सोमनंदिन्नंदिषेण काल पिंगल कुक्कुट । कुंडोदर मयूराक्ष बाण गोकर्ण तारक

Transliteration

somanaṃdinnaṃdiṣeṇa kāla piṃgala kukkuṭa | kuṃḍodara mayūrākṣa bāṇa gokarṇa tāraka

Translation

—Somanandin, Nandiṣeṇa, Kāla, Piṅgala, Kukkuṭa, Kuṇḍodara, Mayūrākṣa, Bāṇa, Gokarṇa, dan Tāraka—

Word by Word

• सोमनन्दिन्: Somanandin
• सोमनन्दिन्: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + नन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• नन्दिषेण: Nandiṣeṇa
• नन्दिषेण: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि + सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• काल: Kāla
• काल: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• पिङ्गल: Piṅgala
• पिङ्गल: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• कुक्कुट: Kukkuṭa
• कुक्कुट: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्कुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• कुण्डोदर: Kuṇḍodara
• कुण्डोदर: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• मयूराक्ष: Mayūrākṣa
• मयूराक्ष: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मयूर + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• बाण: Bāṇa
• बाण: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• गोकर्ण: Gokarṇa
• गोकर्ण: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• तारक: Tāraka
• तारक: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda-to-Agastya frame, attributed to Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A widening procession as more gaṇas are named—Somanandin, Nandiṣeṇa, Kāla, Piṅgala, Kukkuṭa, Kuṇḍodara, Mayūrākṣa, Bāṇa, Gokarṇa, Tāraka—forming a formidable entourage bound for Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Somanandin
• Nandiṣeṇa
• Kāla
• Piṅgala
• Kukkuṭa
• Kuṇḍodara
• Mayūrākṣa
• Bāṇa
• Gokarṇa
• Tāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred narrative preserves the divine entourage, affirming that Kāśī’s protection and governance operate through Śiva’s many empowered agents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī by context, as the mission-field for these Gaṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a catalog of Gaṇa names within the Kāśī Māhātmya storyline.