Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छन्ददर्शाग्रे हृष्टपुष्टजनावृतम् । पिचंडिलैः स्थूलवक्त्रैर्मेघगंभीरनिःस्वनैः

Transliteration

tato gacchandadarśāgre hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanāvṛtam | picaṃḍilaiḥ sthūlavaktrairmeghagaṃbhīraniḥsvanaiḥ

Translation

ఆపై ముందుకు సాగుచుండగా, అతడు ముందర ఒక ప్రాంతాన్ని చూచెను—హర్షితమైన, పుష్టమైన జనులతో నిండినది; స్థూలముఖులు, దృఢదేహులు, మేఘగంభీర ధ్వనివలె నినదించువారు।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala/Desha (Time/Place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from there/then)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent of seeing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अग्रे: in front/ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative adverb)

• हृष्ट-पुष्ट-जन-आवृतम्: surrounded by joyful, well-fed people
• हृष्ट-पुष्ट-जन-आवृतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + पुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (√वृ, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (हृष्टैः पुष्टैः जनैः आवृतम्)

• पिचण्डिलैः: by/with picaṇḍilas (a class of beings)
• पिचण्डिलैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिचण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• स्थूल-वक्त्रैः: with large faces
• स्थूल-वक्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (स्थूलं वक्त्रं येषाम्)

• मेघ-गंभीर-निःस्वनैः: with thunder-deep sounds
• मेघ-गंभीर-निःस्वनैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक) + गंभीर (प्रातिपदिक) + निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (मेघवत् गंभीरः निःस्वनः येषाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright, bustling region ahead: well-fed, jubilant beings with stout faces; their voices roll like thunderclouds, suggesting power and collective presence.

Characters & Entities

• Guhyaka-loka (implied next)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology portrays varied realms; outward conditions reflect inner and karmic causes explained in subsequent verses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a descriptive passage about a non-earthly realm within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.