Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

छत्रीभूतौ च यत्रस्तः सूर्याचंद्रमसावपि । यस्मिन्मकरतुंडं च वाराहीशक्तिरुत्तमा

Transliteration

chatrībhūtau ca yatrastaḥ sūryācaṃdramasāvapi | yasminmakaratuṃḍaṃ ca vārāhīśaktiruttamā

Translation

അവിടെ സൂര്യനും ചന്ദ്രനും പോലും രാജച്ഛത്രങ്ങളായി മാറിയതുപോലെ നിലകൊണ്ടു. ആ ദിവ്യവിമാനത്തിൽ മകരതുണ്ഡ-ചിഹ്നധാരിണിയായ ഉത്തമ വാരാഹീ-ശക്തി സ്ഥാപിതയായി ഇരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• छत्रीभूतौ: having become umbrellas (canopies)
• छत्रीभूतौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छत्रीभूत (कृदन्त; √भू धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भूत (क्त) कृदन्त—‘भूत’ = become; छत्री- (प्रातिपदिक) उपपद

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: where)

• स्थः: (they) stand/are stationed
• स्थः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (√स्था धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (अत्र ‘स्थः’ इति रूपं—पाठभेद/सन्ध्यन्तरात् ‘स्थौ/स्थः’ सम्भाव्य; अर्थतः ‘स्थितौ/स्थितौ’ = are standing)

• सूर्य: the Sun
• सूर्य: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• चन्द्रमसौ: the Moon (dual form used with Sun as pair)
• चन्द्रमसौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘चन्द्रमसौ’ = dual of चन्द्रमस्

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• मकरतुंडम्: the makara-snouted (one)/a makara-like snout
• मकरतुंडम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मकरस्य तुण्डम्)

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

• वाराहीशक्तिः: the Varāhī power/energy
• वाराहीशक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराही + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासभावः (वाराही या शक्ति:)

• उत्तमा: supreme, excellent
• उत्तमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial vimāna/chariot where the Sun and Moon appear as twin royal umbrellas above; upon the conveyance sits/stands the excellent Vārāhī-Śakti with a makara-snouted emblem, surrounded by gaṇas in a luminous sky.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Candra
• Vārāhī-Śakti
• Makara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine majesty surpasses cosmic powers—Devi’s presence is portrayed as sovereign even over the Sun and Moon.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is the Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī Māhātmya), though this verse narrates the Dakṣa-yajña episode rather than naming a specific Kāśī tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a descriptive, iconic portrayal of Devi’s divine procession.