Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नामग्राहं ततःऽप्रैषीद्बहुमान पुरःसरम् । शंकुकर्ण महाकाल घटाकर्ण महोदर

Transliteration

nāmagrāhaṃ tataḥ'praiṣīdbahumāna puraḥsaram | śaṃkukarṇa mahākāla ghaṭākarṇa mahodara

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം യഥോചിത ബഹുമാനത്തോടെ മുൻപിൽ നിർത്തി, പേരുപറഞ്ഞ് ഗണങ്ങളെ അയച്ചു—ശങ്കുകർണ്ണൻ, മഹാകാലൻ, ഘടാകർണ്ണൻ, മഹോദരൻ।

Word by Word

• नामग्राहम्: Nāmagrāha (a gaṇa named so)
• नामग्राहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाम + ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति एकवचन; ‘प्रैषीत्’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमार्थक (then/thereupon)

• प्रैषीत्: sent/dispatched
• प्रैषीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष् (धातु; प्रेषणार्थ)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बहुमानम्: Bahumāna (a gaṇa named so)
• बहुमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति एकवचन; ‘पुरःसरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्/सहकर्म

• पुरःसरम्: as a forerunner/leader
• पुरःसरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरः + सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः—पुरः (in front) + सर (going) = leader/forerunner; ‘बहुमानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शंकुकर्ण: Śaṅkukarṇa
• शंकुकर्ण: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकु + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• महाकाल: Mahākāla
• महाकाल: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• घटाकर्ण: Ghaṭākarṇa
• घटाकर्ण: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घटा + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

• महोदर: Mahodara
• महोदर: Sambodhana/Name (Appellation/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; नाम

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda-to-Agastya frame, attributed to Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A roll-call scene: the lord sends forth honored gaṇas—Śaṅkukarṇa, Mahākāla, Ghaṭākarṇa, Mahodara—ready for swift travel to Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkukarṇa
• Mahākāla
• Ghaṭākarṇa
• Mahodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s dharmic mission is carried by his Gaṇas; divine service (sevā) is honored and purposeful in protecting sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied destination and sacred concern motivating the dispatch.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists Gaṇas as part of the sacred narrative.