Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

सर्वे विभूतिधवला सर्वेप्येक कपर्द्दिनः । समस्ते नगरे तस्य वसंत्येवंविधा गणाः

Transliteration

sarve vibhūtidhavalā sarvepyeka kaparddinaḥ | samaste nagare tasya vasaṃtyevaṃvidhā gaṇāḥ

Translation

ทุกคนขาวผ่องด้วยวิภูติ (เถ้าศักดิ์สิทธิ์); ทุกคนก็ไว้ชฎาม้วนเดียว. ทั่วทั้งนครของเขา เหล่าคณะบริวาร (คณะคณะ) เช่นนี้พำนักอยู่

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विभूतिधवलाः: white with sacred ash
• विभूतिधवलाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति-धवल (प्रातिपदिक; विभूति + धवल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विभूत्या धवलाः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Emphasis (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• एक: some/one kind
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (पुं. ‘एके’ अपेक्षित; पाठे ‘एक’ अव्यक्त/सन्ध्यन्त-रूप); अर्थतः ‘एके’ (some)

• कपर्द्दिनः: wearers of matted hair
• कपर्द्दिनः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणार्थे (having matted hair/topknot)

• समस्ते: entire
• समस्ते: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (नगरे)

• नगरे: in the city
• नगरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वसन्ति: live/dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• एवंविधाः: such (of this kind)
• एवंविधाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं-विध (प्रातिपदिक; एवं + विध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (एवं विधाः = of such a kind)

• गणाः: groups/hosts
• गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kailāsa-purī / Śiva-gaṇa-nagara (referential)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic ‘city of gaṇas’: countless ash-white figures with single matted hair-coils, rudrākṣa, skull-bowls; a disciplined, uniform ascetic populace under Śiva’s unseen sovereignty.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇas (Śiva’s attendants)
• Vibhūti (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as pervaded by Śiva’s presence through his gaṇas; sacred ash symbolizes purity, impermanence, and liberation-minded living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), envisioned as Śiva’s own city filled with his attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but vibhūti (sacred ash) is highlighted as a prominent Śaiva emblem.