Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

मेरुतुंग नमेरुस्थच्छायाक्रीडितकिंनरम् । किंनरीमिथुनोद्गीतं गानवच्छुककिंशुकम्

Transliteration

merutuṃga namerusthacchāyākrīḍitakiṃnaram | kiṃnarīmithunodgītaṃ gānavacchukakiṃśukam

Translation

അവിടെ മേരുവിനെപ്പോലെയുള്ള ഉയർന്ന ശിഖരങ്ങളുടെ ശീതള നിഴലിൽ കിന്നരർ ക്രീഡിച്ചു; കിന്നരീ ദമ്പതികളുടെ മധുരഗാനത്തോട് ചേർന്ന് കിംശുക/അശോക വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും പാടുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• मेरुतुंग: lofty like Meru
• मेरुतुंग: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तुङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय: मेरुः तुङ्गः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (किंनरम् इति विशेषणम्)

• नमेरुस्थ: not situated on Meru
• नमेरुस्थ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न (अव्यय) + मेरु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: समासः (न-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-समास: मेरौ न स्थितः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (छाया इत्यादि-सम्बन्धेन)

• छाया: in the shade
• छाया: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण) एकवचन/सप्तमी-एकवचन-पूर्वपदभावे; समासे पूर्वपदम् (छायायाम्)

• क्रीडित: having sported
• क्रीडित: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) → क्रीडित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (played/sported)

• किंनरम्: a kiṃnara (celestial being)
• किंनरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंनर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• किंनरी: of a kiṃnarī
• किंनरी: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंनरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपदम् (किंनरीणाम्/किंनर्याः)

• मिथुन: pair/couple
• मिथुन: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-पूर्वपदभावे; समासे (मिथुनस्य/मिथुने)

• उद्गीतम्: sung aloud
• उद्गीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-गै (धातु) → उद्गीत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (sung forth)

• गानवत्: musical, full of song
• गानवत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गानवत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्/वतुप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (having song/singing)

• शुक: parrot
• शुक: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-पूर्वपदभावे; समासे (शुकस्य)

• किंशुकम्: kiṃśuka tree (palāśa)
• किंशुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lofty, Meru-like peaks cast cool shade where Kiṃnaras play; pairs of Kiṃnarīs sing in chorus, and flowering aśoka/kiṃśuka trees appear to echo their melody as if the grove itself is musical.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Meru
• Kiṃnaras
• Kiṃnarīs
• kiṃśuka (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The holiness of Kāśī elevates the environment to a celestial plane—devotion is awakened through harmony, music, and sacred beauty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred grove-region (within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative) is praised, likened to Meru and inhabited by celestial musicians.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and celebratory rather than prescriptive.