Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

रम्यध्वजप्रभाधौता रेजुः प्रति शिवालयम् । क्वचिद्गायंति गीतज्ञाः क्वचिन्नृत्यंति नर्तकाः

Transliteration

ramyadhvajaprabhādhautā rejuḥ prati śivālayam | kvacidgāyaṃti gītajñāḥ kvacinnṛtyaṃti nartakāḥ

Translation

หนทางสู่ศิวาลัยแต่ละแห่งส่องประกาย ราวถูกชำระด้วยรัศมีแห่งธงงาม; บางแห่งนักขับร้องผู้ชำนาญขับบทเพลง บางแห่งนาฏกรร่ายรำ

Word by Word

• ramya-dhvaja-prabhā-dhautāḥ: cleansed by the radiance of beautiful banners
• ramya-dhvaja-prabhā-dhautāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhauta (कृदन्त; √dhāv धाव्/√dhū धू? + क्त; here 'washed/cleansed')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः (रम्यध्वजस्य प्रभया धौताः = cleansed by the radiance of lovely flags)

• rejuḥ: shone
• rejuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rāj (राज्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• prati: towards/at
• prati: Sambandha (Prepositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (towards/at)

• śiva-ālayam: Śiva’s temple
• śiva-ālayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (śivasya ālayaḥ)

• kvacit: somewhere
• kvacit: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: somewhere)

• gāyanti: sing
• gāyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (गै)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• gīta-jñāḥ: those skilled in song
• gīta-jñāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gīta (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गीतं जानन्ति)

• kvacit: elsewhere
• kvacit: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• nṛtyanti: dance
• nṛtyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (नृत्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• nartakāḥ: dancers
• nartakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nartaka (प्रातिपदिक; √nṛt नृत् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī Śiva-alaya-mārga (temple approaches)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Temple lanes gleam, ‘washed’ by the radiance of colorful flags; at intersections, trained singers perform devotional songs while dancers move in rhythmic patterns before Śiva shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Śivālaya (Śiva temples)
• Singers
• Dancers
• Flags
• Kāśī (implied)
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti expresses itself through art—song and dance become offerings when directed toward Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s network of Śiva-temples (śivālaya) is implied, emphasizing the city as Śiva’s living sanctuary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied devotional practices include kīrtana (singing) and nṛtya (dance) in a temple-festival setting.