Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

द्वात्रिंशद्दशनश्चायं करकंबु शिरोधरः । कौंचदुंदुभिहंसाभ्र स्वरः सर्वेश्वराधिकः

Transliteration

dvātriṃśaddaśanaścāyaṃ karakaṃbu śirodharaḥ | kauṃcaduṃdubhihaṃsābhra svaraḥ sarveśvarādhikaḥ

Translation

اس کے بتیس دانت ہیں؛ اس کے ہاتھ صدف (شنکھ) جیسے ہیں؛ سر اور گردن خوش تراش ہیں؛ اور اس کی آواز—بگلے، دُندُبی، ہنس اور بادل جیسی—سب پر سیادت کے لائق، نہایت برتر ہے۔

Word by Word

• dvātriṃśat: thirty-two
• dvātriṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvātriṃśat (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासाङ्ग (dvigu)

• daśanaḥ: teeth (set)
• daśanaḥ: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘द्वात्रिंशत्’ इति संख्याविशेषणेन विशेषितः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• ayam: this (man)
• ayam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kara: hand
• kara: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• kambu: conch
• kambu: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: kambu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमानार्थ (conch-like)

• śirodharaḥ: head-bearer; having (such) head/neck
• śirodharaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras + dhara (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (śirasaḥ dharaḥ)

• kauṃca: krauncha bird
• kauṃca: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṃca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• duṃdubhi: kettledrum
• duṃdubhi: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṃdubhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• haṃsa: swan
• haṃsa: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• abhra: cloud
• abhra: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• svaraḥ: voice
• svaraḥ: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarveśvara: lord of all
• sarveśvara: Viśeṣaṇa (as member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (sarveṣāṃ īśvaraḥ)

• adhikaḥ: superior to (even) the lord of all
• adhikaḥ: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (sarveśvarāt adhikaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like depiction of an idealized noble figure: symmetrical face with complete teeth, conch-like hands, well-formed neck, and a resonant voice suggested through surrounding motifs—heron, kettle-drum, swan, and cloud as poetic sound-analogies.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Noble speech and well-ordered form are celebrated as signs of inner merit, suggesting leadership aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, but this verse does not name a specific sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists auspicious characteristics and their implied फल.