Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तं भार्गवं प्राप्य गणाधिराजो मुखाग्निना शस्त्रशतानि दग्ध्वा । आयात्प्रवृद्धेऽसुरदेवयुद्धे भवस्य पार्श्वे व्यथितारिसैन्यः

Transliteration

taṃ bhārgavaṃ prāpya gaṇādhirājo mukhāgninā śastraśatāni dagdhvā | āyātpravṛddhe'suradevayuddhe bhavasya pārśve vyathitārisainyaḥ

Translation

ಆ ಭಾರ್ಗವ (ಶುಕ್ರ)ನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ತಲುಪಿ ಗಣಾಧಿರಾಜನು ಮುಖಾಗ್ನಿಯಿಂದ ನೂರಾರು ಆಯುಧಗಳನ್ನು ದಹಿಸಿದನು; ನಂತರ ಅಸುರ-ದೇವ ಯುದ್ಧವು ಉಗ್ರವಾದಾಗ, ಶತ್ರುಸೈನ್ಯವನ್ನು ವ್ಯಥಿತಗೊಳಿಸಿ ಭವ (ಶಿವ)ನ ಪಾರ್ಶ್ವಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದನು।

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• bhārgavam: Bhārgava (Śukra)
• bhārgavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नाम (शुक्रः)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे) — ‘having reached/obtained’

• gaṇa-adhirājaḥ: the lord of the gaṇas
• gaṇa-adhirājaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhirāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘गणानाम् अधिराजः’

• mukha-agni-nā: with the fire from (his) mouth
• mukha-agni-nā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मुखस्य अग्निः’

• śastra-śatāni: hundreds of weapons
• śastra-śatāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘शस्त्राणां शतानि’

• dagdhvā: having burned
• dagdhvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे) — ‘having burnt’

• āyāt: came, approached
• āyāt: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + yā (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत/अोरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• pravṛddhe: when it had grown intense
• pravṛddhe: Adhikaraṇa (Locative circumstance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + vṛdh (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकृदन्तः), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे; ‘when (it was) intensified’—yuddhe इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• asura-deva-yuddhe: in the battle of Asuras and Devas
• asura-deva-yuddhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—‘असुराणां देवानां च युद्धम्’ (समाहारार्थे)

• bhavasya: of Bhava (Śiva)
• bhavasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• pārśve: at the side
• pārśve: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• vyathita-ari-sainyaḥ: whose enemy-army was distressed
• vyathita-ari-sainyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyathita (प्रातिपदिक; √vyath कृदन्त) + ari (प्रातिपदिक) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः—‘अरिणां सैन्यम्’ + विशेषणम् vyathita; gaṇādhirājaḥ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse, typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandī, having reached Śukra, exhales or emits a blazing fire from his mouth that incinerates a hundred incoming weapons; the enemy ranks recoil as he moves to stand beside Bhava.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārgava (Śukra)
• Gaṇādhipa (lord of gaṇas; implied Nandī/gaṇa-chief)
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Asura
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s protection operates through his attendants: divine order neutralizes hostile ‘weapons’ and restores balance in cosmic conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered narration; no particular tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.