Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

समस्तायतनाधीशैर्दिक्पालैरभिनंदितः । तीर्थैर्दर्शित तीर्थश्च गंधर्वैर्गीतमंगलः

Transliteration

samastāyatanādhīśairdikpālairabhinaṃditaḥ | tīrthairdarśita tīrthaśca gaṃdharvairgītamaṃgalaḥ

Translation

അവൻ സമസ്ത ആയതനങ്ങളുടെ അധീശന്മാരാലും ദിക്പാലന്മാരാലും അഭിനന്ദിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ തങ്ങളുടെ തീർത്ഥസ്വഭാവം അവനു വെളിപ്പെടുത്തി; ഗന്ധർവർ മംഗളഗീതങ്ങൾ പാടി।

Word by Word

• समस्तायतनाधीशैः: by/with the lords of all shrines
• समस्तायतनाधीशैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त-आयतन-अधीश (प्रातिपदिक; समस्त + आयतन + अधीश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दिक्पालैः: by/with the guardians of the directions
• दिक्पालैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक्-पाल (प्रातिपदिक; दिक् + पाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अभिनन्दितः: welcomed/honoured
• अभिनन्दितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्द् (धातु) + अभि + क्त → अभिनन्दित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तीर्थैः: by the sacred places
• तीर्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दर्शित: shown/pointed out
• दर्शित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच्? (causative sense) + क्त → दर्शित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (पाठे 'दर्शित' इति अव्यक्त-समास/पदच्छेदे 'दर्शिततीर्थः' इत्यर्थः)

• तीर्थः: (he) the sacred one / pilgrim-place-associated (contextual epithet)
• तीर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गन्धर्वैः: by/with the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• गीतमङ्गलः: whose auspiciousness is sung / praised with auspicious songs
• गीतमङ्गलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीत-मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक; गीत + मङ्गल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्य मङ्गलं गीतम्/गीतैः मङ्गलम्'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī tīrtha-maṇḍala (multiple ghats/kunds)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munisattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic welcome: Dikpālas at the eight directions salute; shrine-lords appear; personified tīrthas (as river/ghat deities) gesture toward their waters; Gandharvas above sing maṅgala.

Characters & Entities

• Dikpālas
• Tīrthas
• Gandharvas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames Kāśī as a living sacred landscape where tīrthas, shrines, and cosmic guardians actively participate in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The many tīrthas and shrines of Kāśī are collectively glorified as manifest and celebratory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it highlights maṅgala-gīta (auspicious singing) and honoring the Lord.