Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यदा स न दिवोदासः प्रागासीत्कुंभसंभव । तदातनं निजं स्थानमलंचक्रे गणाधिपः

Transliteration

yadā sa na divodāsaḥ prāgāsītkuṃbhasaṃbhava | tadātanaṃ nijaṃ sthānamalaṃcakre gaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

โอ้ อคัสตยะผู้กำเนิดจากหม้อ (กุมภสัมภวะ)! เมื่อกาลก่อนที่ทิวโททาสยังมิได้อยู่ ณ ที่นั้น พระผู้เป็นใหญ่แห่งคณะคณา (คณาธิปะ) ก็ได้จัดเตรียมและสถาปนาที่ประทับโบราณของตนไว้

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-सम्बन्धक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb: when)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• दिवोदासः: Divodāsa (proper name)
• दिवोदासः: Pratishedhya (Negated predicate/निषेध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवोदास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्राक्: formerly, earlier
• प्राक्: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पूर्वकालवाचक-अव्ययम् (formerly)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कुम्भसंभव: O pot-born one (Agastya)
• कुम्भसंभव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (सम् + भू-धातु, घञ्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुम्भात् सम्भवः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तद्-सम्बन्धि कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (then)

• आतनम्: expansion, extension (spread)
• आतनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• निजम्: own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; स्थानम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थानम्: place, abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अलम्: fully, sufficiently
• अलम्: Sambandha (Adverbial particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पर्याप्त्यर्थक/समर्थ्यर्थक-निपातः; अत्र क्रियाविशेषणम् (enough/fully)

• चक्रे: made, arranged
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• गणाधिपः: lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणाधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अधिपः)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, in Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (ancient gaṇa-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (kumbha-sambhava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Addressed to Agastya (‘kumbha-sambhava’), the narrator recalls an earlier time: a gaṇa-lord installs an ancient seat in Kāśī—stone pedestal near a shrine, attendants placing garlands and flags.

Characters & Entities

• Divodāsa
• Agastya (Kuṃbhasambhava)
• Gaṇādhipa (Gaṇeśa/Vināyaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred order of Kāśī is timeless; divine seats and presences are established beyond the rise and fall of kings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctified landscape is implied through the mention of Gaṇādhipa’s ‘own seat’ established there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides historical-theological context for the deity’s established seat.