Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शरच्चन्द्रप्रतीकाशा विद्वज्जनविभूषिता । इन्द्रयष्टिसमाकीर्णा गोपगोकुलसंवृता

Transliteration

śaraccandrapratīkāśā vidvajjanavibhūṣitā | indrayaṣṭisamākīrṇā gopagokulasaṃvṛtā

Translation

അത് ശരത്‌ചന്ദ്രനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തമായിരുന്നു; പണ്ഡിതജനസമൂഹങ്ങളാൽ വിഭൂഷിതമായിരുന്നു. ഉയർന്ന ഇന്ദ്രയഷ്ടികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞു, ഗോപരും ഗോകുലവും ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शरत्-चन्द्र-प्रतीकाशा: resembling the autumn moon
• शरत्-चन्द्र-प्रतीकाशा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरत् (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक/विशेषण 'resembling')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (शरच्चन्द्रस्य प्रतीकाशा—'like the autumn moon')

• विद्वत्-जन-विभूषिता: adorned by learned people
• विद्वत्-जन-विभूषिता: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्वत् (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त; √भूष्; past participle)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (विद्वज्जनैः विभूषिता—'adorned by learned people')

• इन्द्र-यष्टि-समाकीर्णा: filled with Indra-pillars/flagstaffs
• इन्द्र-यष्टि-समाकीर्णा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + यष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकीर्ण (कृदन्त; √कॄ/किर्; past participle sense 'filled')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रयष्टिभिः समाकीर्णा—'filled with Indra-pillars/flagstaffs')

• गोप-गोकुल-संवृता: surrounded by cowherds and cowherd-settlements
• गोप-गोकुल-संवृता: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक) + गोकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + संवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ 'to cover/enclose' with सम्-; past participle)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व (गोपाश्च गोकुलं च) + कृदन्त (तैः संवृता—'surrounded by')

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāśī gleaming like an autumn moon; scholars in white garments gathered in debate; tall ceremonial pillars and flags; cowherds with cattle at the city’s edge.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāṇasī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred city is portrayed as luminous through learning, orderly public religious symbols, and dharmic prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is being praised through poetic city-varṇana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, highlighting cultural and religious markers (like indrayaṣṭi) associated with public dharma.