Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

इह मंगलवेशेषु देवेंद्रेषु स शूलधृक् । कथमर्हो भवेच्चेति मंगले विषमेक्षणः

Transliteration

iha maṃgalaveśeṣu deveṃdreṣu sa śūladhṛk | kathamarho bhavecceti maṃgale viṣamekṣaṇaḥ

Translation

येथे मंगलवेषधारी देवेंद्रांमध्ये तो शूलधारी कसा योग्य ठरेल—हे मंगले, विषमदृष्टीचे लोक कुटिल न्यायाने असेच मनात म्हणाले।

Word by Word

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb) — ‘अत्र/इह’

• maṅgala-veśeṣu: in auspicious attire(s)
• maṅgala-veśeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṅgala (प्रातिपदिक) + veśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘मङ्गलस्य वेषः’ → ‘मङ्गलवेषः’)

• devendreṣu: among the lords of gods (Indras)
• devendreṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devendra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• śūla-dhṛk: the trident-bearer
• śūla-dhṛk: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘धृ’ धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त (धृक् = धारकः), उपपद-तत्पुरुष (‘शूलं धरति’)

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक/ interrogative adverb)

• arhaḥ: worthy/fit
• arhaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• bhavet: might be/become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• maṅgale: in/at the auspicious (occasion)
• maṅgale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṅgala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• viṣama-ekṣaṇaḥ: the one with uneven/strange glance
• viṣama-ekṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक) + ekṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (‘विषमं/विकृतं एक्षणं यस्य’/‘विषम-एक्षणः’)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the dialogue (contextual; describing others’ biased view)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary interlocutor of Kāśīkhaṇḍa (traditionally a sage/assembly; not explicit in given verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine assembly in festive auspicious dress; among them the trident-bearing Śiva is judged unfit by those with ‘crooked eyes’—a contrast of glittering ornamentation versus ascetic majesty.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śūladhṛk)
• Devas (Devendras)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Judging divinity by external conventions leads to error; Śiva’s true auspiciousness is independent of worldly standards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the implied sacred backdrop of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa discussion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse critiques attitudes within an auspicious ceremonial setting.