Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वरेतास्त्रिदंडायाः संप्राप्तोत्र स्वयं विभुः । कूश्मांडकं गणाध्यक्षं पुरस्कृत्य व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

ūrdhvaretāstridaṃḍāyāḥ saṃprāptotra svayaṃ vibhuḥ | kūśmāṃḍakaṃ gaṇādhyakṣaṃ puraskṛtya vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ತ್ರಿದಂಡೆಯಿಂದ ಸ್ವಯಂ ವಿಭು ಊರ್ಧ್ವರೇತಾ ರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಆಗಮಿಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ; ಗಣಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷನಾದ ಕೂಷ್ಮಾಂಡಕನನ್ನು ಮುಂಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟು ಸ್ಥಿರನಾಗಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• ऊर्ध्वरेताः: the one of upward semen (an ascetic)
• ऊर्ध्वरेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्व-रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक; ऊर्ध्व + रेतस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (ऊर्ध्वं रेतः यस्य सः)

• त्रिदण्डायाः: of the Tridaṇḍā (three-staff order)
• त्रिदण्डायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदण्डा (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + दण्ड)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (त्रयः दण्डाः यस्याः)

• सम्प्राप्तः: having arrived
• सम्प्राप्तः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्राप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘having arrived/come’

• उत्र: there
• उत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वकृत्यवाचक (reflexive adverb)

• विभुः: the Lord, the all-pervading one
• विभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कूश्माण्डकम्: Kūśmāṇḍaka (name)
• कूश्माण्डकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूश्माण्डक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गणाध्यक्षम्: the leader of the gaṇas
• गणाध्यक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण-अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; गण + अध्यक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अध्यक्षः)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front; having honored
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्-कृ (धातु) → पुरस्कृत्य (अव्ययभाव/क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकर्मवाचक

• व्यवस्थितः: stood; was stationed
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स्थित्यर्थक—‘standing/being stationed’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ūrdhvaretā-sthāna (Kāśī) / Tridaṇḍā sambandha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Ūrdhvaretā arriving/being established from Tridaṇḍā, with Kūśmāṇḍaka—gaṇādhyakṣa—placed foremost like a ceremonial guardian; a Kāśī shrine setting with lamps, bilva leaves, and attendant gaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrdhvaretā (Śiva)
• Tridaṇḍā (toponym)
• Kūśmāṇḍaka (gaṇa-chief)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as the place where Śiva’s special forms are permanently installed, accompanied by His gaṇas, making the city a complete sacred ecosystem.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ūrdhvaretā presence/shrine in Kāśī, linked to Tridaṇḍā and the gaṇa-chief Kūśmāṇḍaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; the verse mainly records the divine establishment (sthāpana) and attendant hierarchy.