Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विद्याधर्यश्च किन्नर्यस्तथाऽमर्यः सहस्रशः । चामर व्यग्रहस्ताग्र मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः

Transliteration

vidyādharyaśca kinnaryastathā'maryaḥ sahasraśaḥ | cāmara vyagrahastāgra maṃgaladravyapāṇayaḥ

Translation

ആയിരങ്ങളായി വിദ്യാധരിമാരും കിന്നരിമാരും ദിവ്യകന്യകളും എത്തി; ചിലർ ചാമരം കൈയിൽ പിടിച്ച് സേവയിൽ തിരക്കിലായിരുന്നു, ചിലർ കൈകളിൽ മംഗളദ്രവ്യങ്ങൾ വഹിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• विद्याधर्यः: Vidyādharī women
• विद्याधर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्याधरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• किन्नर्यः: Kinnarī women
• किन्नर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• अमर्यः: celestial women (Amarīs)
• अमर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: by the thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/बहुत्ववाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb: ‘by thousands’)

• चामर: yak-tail fan (cāmara)
• चामर: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (पाठभेदे) विशेषणरूपेण अपि

• व्यग्रहस्ताग्र: with busy hands held forward
• व्यग्रहस्ताग्र: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र + हस्त + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘whose hands are busy/raised at the front’ (हस्ताग्र = हस्तस्य अग्रभागः)

• मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः: those with auspicious items in their hands
• मंगलद्रव्यपाणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंगल + द्रव्य + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—मंगलद्रव्यं पाणौ येषाम् (अर्थतः बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage-audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Thousands of celestial women arrive in ordered groups: some wave white yak-tail fans (cāmara) in rhythmic arcs; others carry trays of auspicious items—flowers, incense, lamps, perfumes—moving toward the sacred focal point.

Characters & Entities

• Vidyādharī
• Kinnarī
• Amarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī draws not only humans but celestial beings; sincere worship is portrayed as a cosmic event honored with maṅgala-dravya and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the sacred center where divine assemblies gather.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Carrying maṅgala-dravya (auspicious articles) and performing service (such as fanning with cāmara) are implied as acts of honor in worship.