Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

गणा विमानं नयत मनःपवनचक्रिणम् । पंचास्यायुतसंयुक्तं रत्नसानुध्वजोच्छ्रितम्

Transliteration

gaṇā vimānaṃ nayata manaḥpavanacakriṇam | paṃcāsyāyutasaṃyuktaṃ ratnasānudhvajocchritam

Translation

“ഹേ ഗണങ്ങളേ! മനസ്സിന്റെയും കാറ്റിന്റെയും വേഗത്തിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്ന ആ വിമാനത്തെ കൊണ്ടുവരിക; അത് പത്തായിരം പഞ്ചാസ്യ-സംഘങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തവും, രത്നശിഖരങ്ങളിൽ ഉയർന്ന പതാകകളാൽ ശോഭിതവും ആകുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• गणाः: O gaṇas/attendants
• गणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• विमानम्: the aerial car
• विमानम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• नयत: lead/bring
• नयत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनःपवनचक्रिणम्: having wheels swift as mind and wind
• मनःपवनचक्रिणम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पवन (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनः-पवनवत् चक्रिणम्/whose wheels are like mind and wind); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

• पञ्चास्यायुतसंयुक्तम्: joined with ten-thousands of five-faced (beings)
• पञ्चास्यायुतसंयुक्तम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चास्यैः अयुतैः संयुक्तम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

• रत्नसानुध्वजोच्छ्रितम्: with a banner raised on a jeweled peak
• रत्नसानुध्वजोच्छ्रितम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + सानु (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्छ्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रत्नसानौ ध्वजः उच्छ्रितः यस्मिन्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानम्)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate command to Gaṇas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśī discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva commands a gathered host of gaṇas; in the sky a radiant vimāna approaches, moving like thought and wind, crowded with five-faced attendants, jeweled peaks and streaming banners.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Gaṇas
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine assistance arises when the Lord wills protection; sacred travel is portrayed as guided by Śiva’s compassionate authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context underscores Kāśī as the sphere of Mahādeva’s rule, where divine agencies (Gaṇas) act swiftly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it is a command initiating divine conveyance (vimāna) for immediate action.