Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अग्निजिह्वोस्ति वेतालस्तस्या देव्यास्तु नैरृते । ददाति वांछितां सिद्धिं सोर्चितो भौमवासरे

Transliteration

agnijihvosti vetālastasyā devyāstu nairṛte | dadāti vāṃchitāṃ siddhiṃ sorcito bhaumavāsare

Translation

ਉਸ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਮੰਡਲ ਦੇ ਨੈਰ੍ਰਿਤ (ਦੱਖਣ-ਪੱਛਮ) ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਗ્નਿਜਿਹ੍ਵ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਵੇਤਾਲ ਹੈ। ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਭਕਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਅਰਚਨਾ ਕਰਨ ਨਾਲ ਉਹ ਇੱਛਿਤ ਸਿੱਧੀ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• अग्निजिह्वः: (one named) Agnijihva
• अग्निजिह्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (agnijihvā = अग्नेः जिह्वा यस्य/अग्निजिह्वा)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेतालः: a Vetāla (spirit)
• वेतालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• देव्याः: of the goddess
• देव्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• नैरृते: in the south-west (quarter)
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशि/कोणे (south-west)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वांछिताम्: desired
• वांछिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सिद्धिम्)

• सिद्धिम्: success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• अर्चितः: worshipped
• अर्चितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अर्च् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• भौमवासरे: on Tuesday (Mars-day)
• भौमवासरे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भौम (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भौमस्य वासरः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twilight view of Kāśī’s Devī precinct; in the south-west corner stands Vetāla Agnijihva—fierce yet controlled—receiving Tuesday worship: red flowers, lamp-flame, and a protective circle of mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Agnijihva
• Vetāla
• Devī
• Kāśī
• Nairṛta (south-west)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred landscape includes appointed powers; when approached with proper day and devotion, they become channels for attaining legitimate aims (siddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates a guardian Vetāla within the sacred directional geography connected to the Goddess in Kāśī (Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sthala-mahātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) of Agnijihva Vetāla specifically on Tuesday (bhaumavāra) for desired accomplishment.