Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

दशाश्वमेधमीशानं द्रुमि चंडेशमेव च । दृक्केशं गरुडेशं च गोकर्णेशं गणेश्वरम्

Transliteration

daśāśvamedhamīśānaṃ drumi caṃḍeśameva ca | dṛkkeśaṃ garuḍeśaṃ ca gokarṇeśaṃ gaṇeśvaram

Translation

“Atau Daśāśvamedha-Īśāna; Drumi-Caṇḍeśa; Dṛkkeśa; Garuḍeśa; Gokarṇeśa; ataupun Gaṇeśvara?”

Word by Word

• दशाश्वमेधम्: Daśāśvamedha (name)
• दशाश्वमेधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (दश अश्वमेधाः यस्य/सम्बद्धः)

• ईशानम्: Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• द्रुमि: Drumi (name)
• द्रुमि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (स्थल/लिङ्गनाम)

• चण्डेशम्: Caṇḍeśa
• चण्डेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चण्डस्य ईशः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

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

• दृक्केशम्: Dṛkkeśa
• दृक्केशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृक्-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दृशः/दृकः ईशः)

• गरुडेशम्: Garuḍeśa
• गरुडेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गरुडस्य ईशः)

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

• गोकर्णेशम्: Gokarṇeśa
• गोकर्णेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-कर्ण-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गोकर्णस्य ईशः)

• गणेश्वरम्: Gaṇeśvara
• गणेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गणानां ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha-Īśāna (and associated Kāśī liṅgas named)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic Kāśī scene: the Daśāśvamedha ghat teems with lamps; nearby, a shrine of Īśāna-liṅga. Other liṅgas appear as emblematic vignettes—Garuḍa banner, cow-ear (gokarṇa) motif, and Gaṇeśa-associated guardianship—forming a sacred constellation.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedha-Īśāna
• Drumi-Caṇḍeśa
• Dṛkkeśa
• Garuḍeśa
• Gokarṇeśa
• Gaṇeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By enumerating many shrine-names, the text teaches that Kāśī itself is a living mandala of Śiva where countless access-points to grace exist.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedha and several Kāśī liṅga-sthānas: Īśāna, (Drumi-)Caṇḍeśa, Dṛkkeśa, Garuḍeśa, Gokarṇeśa, and Gaṇeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse continues a pilgrimage-oriented catalog; it implies visiting and worshipping these liṅgas while discerning the most siddhi-giving shrine.