Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

योगिन्यस्तिग्मगुर्वेधाः शंकुकर्णमुखागणाः । व्यावृत्त्यनागताः काश्याः सिंधुगा इव सिंधवः

Transliteration

yoginyastigmagurvedhāḥ śaṃkukarṇamukhāgaṇāḥ | vyāvṛttyanāgatāḥ kāśyāḥ siṃdhugā iva siṃdhavaḥ

Translation

യോഗിനികളും തിഗ്മഗുര്വേധാ മുതലായവരും ശങ്കുകർണ്ണമുഖ ഗണങ്ങളും തിരിഞ്ഞുപോയി; അവർ കാശിയിലേക്കു വീണ്ടും വന്നില്ല—സമുദ്രത്തിൽ ചേരുന്ന നദികൾ മടങ്ങിവരാത്തതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• योगिन्यः: yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तिग्मगुर्वेधाः: the fierce Gurvedhas
• तिग्मगुर्वेधाः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिग्म + गुर्वेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तिग्माः गुर्वेधाः)

• शङ्कुकर्णमुखागणाः: the groups headed by Śaṅkukarṇa
• शङ्कुकर्णमुखागणाः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कुकर्ण + मुख + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहुवचन-समाहार: शङ्कुकर्णमुखाः गणाः)

• व्यावृत्त्य: having turned back/returned
• व्यावृत्त्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + आ + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-तुल्य अव्यय (ल्यप्/absolutive): व्यावृत्य

• अनागताः: not come/failed to arrive
• अनागताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: न-आगत (Past passive participle with negation), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• काश्याः: from Kāśī
• काश्याः: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• सिन्धुगाः: river-goers (those going to the sea)
• सिन्धुगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धुग (प्रातिपदिक: सिन्धु + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपपद: सिन्धुं गच्छन्ति)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• सिन्धवः: rivers
• सिन्धवः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context of yoginī/gaṇa presence and withdrawal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yoginīs and gaṇas, led by Tigmagurvedhā and Śaṅkukarṇa, turn away from Kāśī’s skyline; the scene dissolves into a symbolic vista of rivers flowing into a vast ocean, indicating irreversible merging.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Tigmagurvedhā
• Śaṅkukarṇa
• Gaṇas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as a final, absorbing spiritual destination—once drawn into its sphere, beings do not easily turn away.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as powerfully attracting Śiva’s retinues and Yoginīs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the verse uses a sacred-geographical metaphor to express Kāśī’s spiritual pull.