Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

गणावूचतुः । आकर्णय महाभाग संयमिन्याः पुरीं पराम् । दिक्पतेर्निरृतस्यासौ पुण्यापुण्यजनोषिता

Transliteration

gaṇāvūcatuḥ | ākarṇaya mahābhāga saṃyaminyāḥ purīṃ parām | dikpaternirṛtasyāsau puṇyāpuṇyajanoṣitā

Translation

ଗଣମାନେ କହିଲେ—ହେ ମହାଭାଗ! ଶୁଣ, ସଂୟମିନୀ ନାମକ ସେଇ ପରମ ପୁରୀର କଥା; ତାହା ଦିକ୍ପତି ନିରୃତଙ୍କର, ଏବଂ ସେଠାରେ ପୁଣ୍ୟବାନ ଓ ପାପୀ—ଦୁହେଁ ବସନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• gaṇau: the two attendants/gaṇas
• gaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ūcatuḥ: said
• ūcatuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ākarṇaya: listen
• ākarṇaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√karṇ (धातु; √karṇ = to hear)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahābhāga: O fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃyaminyāḥ: of Saṃyaminī
• saṃyaminyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyaminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• purīm: city
• purīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• parām: supreme, excellent
• parām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier) of purīm

• dikpateḥ: of the lord of the quarter
• dikpateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• nirṛtasya: of Nirṛti
• nirṛtasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); apposition to dikpateḥ

• asau: that (city)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (contextual), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• puṇya: merit, virtuous
• puṇya: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (as first member of compound)

• apuṇya: demerit, sinful
• apuṇya: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: apuṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (as second member of compound)

• jana: people
• jana: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-आधार (as third member of compound)

• uṣitā: inhabited by people of merit and demerit
• uṣitā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vas (धातु) + uṣita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle sense: ‘dwelt/inhabited’), agreeing with asau (purī)

Speaker

Gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃyaminī-purī (as narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahābhāga (unnamed fortunate interlocutor in context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A band of Śiva’s gaṇas addressing a fortunate listener, gesturing toward a shadowed southwestern city marked by Nirṛti’s emblem; within, diverse inhabitants—some radiant with restraint, others dark with vice—move through ordered streets.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Saṃyaminī (city)
• Nirṛta (dikpati)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic geography mirrors moral causality: realms and rulership are structured, and beings experience mixed outcomes according to merit and demerit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is praised in this verse; it describes Saṃyaminī, a cosmographic city associated with Nirṛta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a description of a realm and its inhabitants.