Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

प्रतीच्यां गजकर्णश्च सर्वेषां क्षेमकारकः । चित्रघंटो गणपतिर्वायव्यां पालयेत्पुरीम्

Transliteration

pratīcyāṃ gajakarṇaśca sarveṣāṃ kṣemakārakaḥ | citraghaṃṭo gaṇapatirvāyavyāṃ pālayetpurīm

Translation

പശ്ചിമ ദിക്കിൽ ഗജകർണ്ണൻ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; അവൻ എല്ലാവർക്കും ക്ഷേമവും മംഗളവും വരുത്തുന്നവൻ. വടക്കുപടിഞ്ഞാറ് (വായവ്യ) ദിക്കിൽ ചിത്രഘണ്ടൻ എന്ന ഗണപതി കാശീപുരിയെ കാത്തുരക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• प्रतीच्याम्: in the west (western direction)
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• गजकर्णः: Gajakarṇa (elephant-eared one)
• गजकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गजस्य कर्णः)

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

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• क्षेमकारकः: maker of welfare
• क्षेमकारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेम + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्षेमस्य कारकः)

• चित्रघण्टः: Citraghaṇṭa (one with a wondrous bell)
• चित्रघण्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + घण्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (चित्रा घण्टा यस्य/चित्रघण्टः)

• गणपतिः: Gaṇapati
• गणपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वायव्याम्: in the northwest
• वायव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• पालयेत्: should protect
• पालयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (directional Gaṇeśa-sthānas: Gajakarṇa, Citraghaṇṭa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like vision of Kāśī: in the west stands Gaṇeśa ‘Gajakarṇa’ bestowing welfare; in the north-west stands Gaṇapati ‘Citraghaṇṭa’ guarding the city, with subtle directional markers and city-ghāṭ silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇapati
• Gajakarṇa
• Citraghaṇṭa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as divinely protected in every direction; devotion aligns one with the city’s guardianship and auspicious order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī—especially the Avimukta sacred field—through its directional guardian forms of Gaṇeśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style mapping of protective deities by direction.