Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं मंदराच्च गणागमः । पिशाचमोचनाख्यानं गणेशप्रेषणं ततः

Transliteration

daśāśvamedhikaṃ tīrthaṃ maṃdarācca gaṇāgamaḥ | piśācamocanākhyānaṃ gaṇeśapreṣaṇaṃ tataḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ ଦଶାଶ୍ୱମେଧିକ ନାମକ ତୀର୍ଥ, ଏବଂ ମନ୍ଦରରୁ ଶିବଗଣମାନଙ୍କ ଆଗମନ। ଅନନ୍ତରେ ପିଶାଚମୋଚନ ଆଖ୍ୟାନ, ଏବଂ ପରେ ଗଣେଶ ପ୍ରେଷଣ।

Word by Word

• daśāśvamedhikam: connected with ten Aśvamedhas
• daśāśvamedhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + aśvamedhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (दश अश्वमेधाः यस्मिन्/सम्बद्धम्)

• tīrtham: sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• maṃdarāt: from Mandara
• maṃdarāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃdara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

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

• gaṇa-āgamaḥ: arrival of the Gaṇas
• gaṇa-āgamaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् आगमः)

• piśāca-mocana-ākhyānam: account of the Piśāca-liberation
• piśāca-mocana-ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca (प्रातिपदिक) + mocana (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पिशाचमोचनस्य आख्यानम्)

• gaṇeśa-preṣaṇam: mission/sending by Gaṇeśa
• gaṇeśa-preṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + preṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणेशस्य प्रेषणम्)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedhika

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Daśāśvamedh ghāṭa, pilgrims bathe as Śiva’s gaṇas arrive in a divine procession from Mandara; a separate vignette shows a tormented person freed from piśāca influence through kṣetra grace and ritual purity.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha
• Mandara
• Śiva-gaṇas
• Piśāca
• Gaṇeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as both merit-bestowing and protective—tīrthas grant puṇya, and divine agencies remove afflictions and spirit-troubles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha (classically linked with Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭa in Kāśī’s pilgrimage circuit).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Piśāca-mocana implies remedial/cleansing rites; the verse itself names the topic without detailing procedure.