Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तथेति भगवत्योक्त्वा गणाः प्रासादनिर्मितौ । सोमनंदि प्रभृतयो ऽसंख्या व्यापारिता मुने

Transliteration

tatheti bhagavatyoktvā gaṇāḥ prāsādanirmitau | somanaṃdi prabhṛtayo 'saṃkhyā vyāpāritā mune

Translation

“ତଥାସ୍ତୁ” ବୋଲି ଭଗବତୀଙ୍କ ବାକ୍ୟ ମାନି ଗଣମାନେ ପ୍ରାସାଦ-ନିର୍ମାଣରେ ଲାଗିଲେ। ହେ ମୁନି, ସୋମନନ୍ଦି ଆଦିଙ୍କ ନେତୃତ୍ୱରେ ଅସଂଖ୍ୟ ଗଣ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ନିଯୁକ୍ତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus’)

• इति: thus/so (quoting)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• भगवती: the Goddess
• भगवती: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्तृपद (feminine nominative singular)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having said’

• गणाः: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• प्रासादनिर्मितौ: in the construction of the palace
• प्रासादनिर्मितौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāsāda (प्रातिपदिक) + nirmiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; ‘प्रासादस्य निर्मितौ’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; अधिकरण (feminine locative singular)

• सोमनन्दि: Somanandin (and others)
• सोमनन्दि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: somanandin (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनार्थे समाहार/गणवाचक-प्रयोगः (proper name used as head of a group)

• प्रभृतयः: beginning with
• प्रभृतयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositive/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ अर्थे (masculine nominative plural: ‘beginning with’)

• असंख्याः: countless
• असंख्याः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of gaṇāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asaṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masculine nominative plural adjective)

• व्यापारिताः: were engaged/assigned
• व्यापारिताः: Kriyā (Predicate; passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ā-√pṛt/√vṛt? (धातु) → vyāpārita (कृदन्त; कर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/त) कर्मणि-प्रयोग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘नियोजिताः/व्यस्तीकृताः’ (past passive participle used predicatively)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन (vocative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical Nāimiṣāraṇya audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Goddess’s assent, hosts of gaṇas—led by Somanandin—begin raising a temple structure in Kāśī, carrying stones, gold plates, banners, and ritual tools in coordinated motion.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas
• Somanandin
• Devī
• Śiva (implied)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine work in a sacred place is supported by divine forces, underscoring the sanctity of temple-building in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the Ratneśvara shrine construction becomes part of the kṣetra’s sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it narrates organized construction of the prāsāda by Śiva’s gaṇas.