Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

कूश्मांडात्पूर्वदिग्भागे पंचास्यो नाम विघ्नराद् । पंचास्यस्यंदनवरः पाति वाराणसीं पुरीम्

Transliteration

kūśmāṃḍātpūrvadigbhāge paṃcāsyo nāma vighnarād | paṃcāsyasyaṃdanavaraḥ pāti vārāṇasīṃ purīm

Translation

കിഴക്കുദിക്കിൽ കൂഷ്മാണ്ഡസ്ഥലത്ത് ‘പഞ്ചാസ്യ’നാമ വിഘ്നരാട് വിരാജിക്കുന്നു. ഉത്തമ വാഹനാരൂഢനായ പഞ്ചാസ്യൻ വാരാണസീ പുരിയെ കാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कूश्माण्डात्: from (the place called) Kūśmāṇḍa
• कूश्माण्डात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूश्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नाम), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• पूर्वदिग्भागे: in the eastern quarter/region
• पूर्वदिग्भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + दिक् + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्व + दिक् (कर्मधारय) + भाग (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘पूर्वदिशः भागे’)

• पञ्चास्यः: five-faced
• पञ्चास्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पञ्च + आस्य (कर्मधारय)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Avyaya (Appositive particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-प्रयोगे (by name)

• विघ्नराट्: king of obstacles
• विघ्नराट्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्नराट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—विघ्न + राट् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘विघ्नानां राजा’)

• पञ्चास्यस्य: of Pañcāsya
• पञ्चास्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यन्दनवरः: the excellent chariot (or best vehicle)
• स्यन्दनवरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्यन्दन + वर (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय: ‘श्रेष्ठः स्यन्दनः’)

• पाति: protects
• पाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः—पा (रक्षणे)

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūśmāṇḍa eastern Paṃcāsya Vighnarāja

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn in the eastern quarter, Paṃcāsya Vināyaka appears as a regal protector with five faces, seated or standing upon an excellent vāhana, overlooking the city skyline of Vārāṇasī; rays of sunrise frame his halo as he ‘guards’ the purī.

Characters & Entities

• Vighnarāṭ (Gaṇeśa)
• Paṃcāsya
• Kūśmāṇḍa
• Vārāṇasī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames Vārāṇasī as divinely protected, with Paṃcāsya Vināyaka serving as a directional guardian.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The eastern sector of Kāśī associated with Kūśmāṇḍa and the Vināyaka Paṃcāsya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is described; the emphasis is on knowing the deity’s location and protective role.