Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

कूणिताक्षो गणाध्यक्षस्त्रितुंडादीश दिक्स्थितः । महाश्मशानं सततं पायाद्दुष्टकुदृष्टितः

Transliteration

kūṇitākṣo gaṇādhyakṣastrituṃḍādīśa diksthitaḥ | mahāśmaśānaṃ satataṃ pāyādduṣṭakudṛṣṭitaḥ

Translation

ขอให้กูณิตากษะ ผู้เป็นประมุขแห่งคณะคณะ (คณะคณา) ผู้สถิต ณ ทิศที่ตรีตุณฑะและวินายกะทั้งหลายเป็นประธาน จงคุ้มครองมหาศฺมศานแห่งกาศีเป็นนิตย์ ให้พ้นจากตาชั่วและสายตาร้ายของคนพาล

Word by Word

• कूणिताक्षः: one with squinted/contracted eyes
• कूणिताक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूणित + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूणितम् अक्षि यस्य)

• गणाध्यक्षः: leader of the gaṇas
• गणाध्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गणानाम् अध्यक्षः)

• त्रितुण्ड: three-trunked
• त्रितुण्ड: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि तुण्डानि यस्य)

• आदीशः: lord, ruler
• आदीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दिक्स्थितः: situated in the directions
• दिक्स्थितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिक् + स्थित (स्था धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (दिक्षु स्थितः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

• महाश्मशानम्: the great cremation-ground
• महाश्मशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् श्मशानम्)

• सततम्: always, continually
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पायात्: may (he) protect
• पायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुष्टकुदृष्टितः: from evil and bad glances
• दुष्टकुदृष्टितः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + कु + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दृष्टि), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः; पञ्चमी-प्रयोगः (—तः = from)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahāśmaśāna (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi audience (frame) or Kāśī-māhātmya interlocutors (internal)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective Vināyaka (Kūṇitākṣa) stands vigilant at the edge of Kāśī’s great cremation-ground, facing outward to repel the ‘evil eye’; behind him rise funeral pyres, sacred ash, and the glow of liberation, while directional Vināyakas are implied as a mandala around the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kūṇitākṣa (Vināyaka)
• Gaṇeśa (Gaṇādhyakṣa)
• Tritūṇḍa
• Mahāśmaśāna (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as divinely guarded; remembrance of Vināyaka’s protective forms counters malice and negative influences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahāśmaśāna—the great cremation-ground of Kāśī, a key Śaiva sacred landmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as a protective invocation (rakṣā) of Vināyaka.