Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गोकर्णो गजकर्णश्च कोकिलाख्यो गजाननः । अहं वै नैगमेयश्च विकटास्योट्टहासकः

Transliteration

gokarṇo gajakarṇaśca kokilākhyo gajānanaḥ | ahaṃ vai naigameyaśca vikaṭāsyoṭṭahāsakaḥ

Translation

கோகರ್ಣன், கஜகர்ணன்; கோகிலாக்யன், கஜானனன்; மேலும் நானே—நைகமேயன்—உடன் விகடாஸ்யன், ஒட்டஹாசகன்—இவ்வாறு கணங்களின் பெயர்கள் கூறப்பட்டன.

Word by Word

• गोकर्णः: cow-eared
• गोकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘गोः कर्ण इव कर्णौ यस्य’ (cow-eared)

• गजकर्णः: elephant-eared
• गजकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘गजस्य कर्ण इव कर्णौ यस्य’ (elephant-eared)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• कोकिलाख्यः: called “Kokila”
• कोकिलाख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोकिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष—‘कोकिल इति आख्यः’ (named “Kokila”)

• गजाननः: elephant-faced
• गजाननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘गजस्य आननम् इव आननं यस्य’ (elephant-faced)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन (I)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (indeed)

• नैगमेयः: Naigameya (a name/epithet)
• नैगमेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैगमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संज्ञा (proper epithet/name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• विकटास्यः: wide-mouthed; huge-faced
• विकटास्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकट (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘विकटम् आस्यम् यस्य’ (with a huge mouth/face)

• उट्टहासकः: loud-laughing
• उट्टहासकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उट्टहासक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (one who laughs loudly; loud-laughing)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; the “ahaṃ vai naigameyaḥ” suggests first-person identification within the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A roll-call of gaṇas with animal/sonic epithets—Gokarṇa, Gajakarṇa, Kokilākhya, Gajānana—followed by the speaker identifying himself as Naigameya, alongside Vikaṭāsya and Oṭṭahāsaka; the scene feels like a divine muster in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)
• Śiva (implied)
• Gaṇas
• Naigameya
• Gajānana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores the living presence of divine attendants in sacred Kāśī—spiritual power is depicted as personal, named, and actively protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, by context; the emphasis is on the city’s divine retinue rather than a single kuṇḍa or ghāṭa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.