Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कीर्तिरुच्चैःश्रवा यस्य सर्वतो वाजिराजिषु । रत्नमुच्चैःश्रवाः सोत्र हयानां पौरुषाधिकः

Transliteration

kīrtiruccaiḥśravā yasya sarvato vājirājiṣu | ratnamuccaiḥśravāḥ sotra hayānāṃ pauruṣādhikaḥ

Translation

ତାଙ୍କ କୀର୍ତ୍ତି ସର୍ବତ୍ର ବାଜିରାଜମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଉଚ୍ଚୈଃଶ୍ରବା ପରି ଉଚ୍ଚରେ ଗୁଞ୍ଜେ; ଏଠାରେ ଉଚ୍ଚୈଃଶ୍ରବା ସ୍ୱୟଂ ହୟରତ୍ନ ହୋଇ ପୌରୁଷରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଅଶ୍ୱକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରି ଦୀପ୍ତ।

Word by Word

• kīrtiḥ: fame
• kīrtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Uccaiḥśravā (the celestial horse)
• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय) + śravas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (uccaiḥ-śravāḥ = 'high-famed', proper name Uccaiḥśravā)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• sarvataḥ: everywhere
• sarvataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वतः-इत्यव्यय (adverb: 'everywhere/on all sides')

• vājirājiṣu: among the ranks of horses
• vājirājiṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vājin (प्रातिपदिक) + rāji (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (vājīnām rājiṣu = in rows/hosts of horses)

• ratnam: a jewel/treasure
• ratnam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Uccaiḥśravā
• uccaiḥśravāḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय) + śravas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (proper name)

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

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• hayānām: of horses
• hayānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• pauruṣādhikaḥ: superior in prowess
• pauruṣādhikaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pauruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (pauruṣe adhikaḥ = superior in strength/valor)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutor (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant white Uccaiḥśravā appears on Kāśī’s riverside, mane like moonlight; kings’ horses bow in comparison; above, a banner of ‘kīrti’ unfurls like a luminous script across the sky; ghats and temples anchor the myth in place.

Characters & Entities

• Uccaiḥśravā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True glory is measured by divine excellence; the sacred realm is portrayed as containing the highest archetypes of perfection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is exalted through comparison with (and presence of) celestial ‘ratnas’ like Uccaiḥśravā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; it is a praise-verse (māhātmya) using iconic Purāṇic symbols.