Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

आरक्तपीतमंजिष्ठ नीलकिर्मीरवर्णकैः । विन्यस्तानीव भासंते चित्रे चित्रकृतायतः

Transliteration

āraktapītamaṃjiṣṭha nīlakirmīravarṇakaiḥ | vinyastānīva bhāsaṃte citre citrakṛtāyataḥ

Translation

ஆழ்ந்த செந்நிறம், பொன்னிற மஞ்சள், மஞ்சிஷ்டை, நீலம், புள்ளிப்புள்ளி நிறங்களால் அவர்கள் அப்படியே ஒளிர்கின்றனர்—திட்டமிட்டு பதித்ததுபோல், ஓவியன் விரித்தெழுதிய நீண்ட ஓவியம் போல।

Word by Word

• ārakta: reddish
• ārakta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (adjective)

• pīta: yellow
• pīta: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• mañjiṣṭha: madder (dye)
• mañjiṣṭha: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mañjiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक-नाम (name of dye/plant)

• nīla: blue
• nīla: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• kirmīra: variegated, mottled
• kirmīra: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kirmīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• varṇakaiḥ: with colors/tints
• varṇakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण/साधन), बहुवचन

• vinyastāni: placed, arranged
• vinyastāni: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√nyas (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि-विशेषणम् (past passive participle)

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• bhāsante: they shine/appear
• bhāsante: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhās (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• citre: in/among the picture/variegation
• citre: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (locative)

• citrakṛta: made/painted in a variegated way
• citrakṛta: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृत, कृ-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (citra-kṛta = made/painted with variegation)

• āyataḥ: extended, long
• āyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long corridor/maṇḍapa in Kāśī gleams like a master painting: surfaces appear inlaid with deep red, golden-yellow, madder, blue, and speckled tones, as if pigments became gemstones.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Avimukta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is suggested through ‘as-if inlaid’ beauty—Kāśī’s sacred space is portrayed as intentionally crafted by higher power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī, via vivid artistic and gem-like imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.