Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तथैरावतकुंडाच्च ब्राह्मणास्त्रिशतानि च । गंधर्वाप्सरसः सप्त शतानि द्विशतानि च

Transliteration

tathairāvatakuṃḍācca brāhmaṇāstriśatāni ca | gaṃdharvāpsarasaḥ sapta śatāni dviśatāni ca

Translation

അതുപോലെ ഐരാവത-കുണ്ഡത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മൂന്ന് നൂറ് ബ്രാഹ്മണർ വന്നു; ഗന്ധർവർ ഏഴ് നൂറും അപ്സരസ്സുകൾ രണ്ട് നൂറും എത്തി।

Word by Word

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ऐरावतकुण्डात्: from Airāvata pond
• ऐरावतकुण्डात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत-कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक; ऐरावत + कुण्ड)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (ऐरावतस्य कुण्डम्)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• त्रिशतानि: three hundred
• त्रिशतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-शत (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन/बहुवचन-प्रयोगे संख्यावाचकसमूहः; द्विगु-समासः (three hundreds = 300)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• गन्धर्वाप्सरसः: Gandharvas and Apsarases
• गन्धर्वाप्सरसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (गन्धर्वाश्च अप्सरसश्च); पुं/स्त्री-मिश्रसमूहः, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; ‘शतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• द्विशतानि: two hundred
• द्विशतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-शत (प्रातिपदिक; द्वि + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन/बहुवचन-प्रयोगे संख्यावाचकसमूहः; द्विगु-समासः (two hundreds = 200)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Airāvata Kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand pond with an emblematic white elephant motif (Airāvata) carved on steps or hovering as a divine symbol; three streams of arrivals—brāhmaṇas with Vedic marks, gandharvas with vīṇā/flutes, apsarases with garlands—forming a layered procession.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śiva
• Airāvata Kuṇḍa
• Brāhmaṇas
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a magnet for all realms—human and celestial—when the goal is Śiva’s presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Airāvata Kuṇḍa is mentioned as a significant sacred water-site within the Kāśī tīrtha ecology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the scale and diversity of arrivals.