Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

आरक्तपीतमंजिष्ठ नीलकिर्मीरवर्णकैः । विन्यस्तानीव भासंते चित्रे चित्रकृतायतः

Transliteration

āraktapītamaṃjiṣṭha nīlakirmīravarṇakaiḥ | vinyastānīva bhāsaṃte citre citrakṛtāyataḥ

Translation

گہرے سرخ، سنہری زرد، منجِٹھ، نیلے اور چِتکبرے رنگوں سے وہ یوں دمکتے ہیں گویا جان بوجھ کر جڑے گئے ہوں—جیسے فنکارانہ ہاتھ سے کھینچی ہوئی طویل تصویر۔

Word by Word

• ārakta: reddish
• ārakta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (adjective)

• pīta: yellow
• pīta: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• mañjiṣṭha: madder (dye)
• mañjiṣṭha: Viśeṣya (Qualified noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mañjiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक-नाम (name of dye/plant)

• nīla: blue
• nīla: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• kirmīra: variegated, mottled
• kirmīra: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kirmīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• varṇakaiḥ: with colors/tints
• varṇakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण/साधन), बहुवचन

• vinyastāni: placed, arranged
• vinyastāni: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√nyas (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि-विशेषणम् (past passive participle)

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• bhāsante: they shine/appear
• bhāsante: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhās (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• citre: in/among the picture/variegation
• citre: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् (locative)

• citrakṛta: made/painted in a variegated way
• citrakṛta: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृत, कृ-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (citra-kṛta = made/painted with variegation)

• āyataḥ: extended, long
• āyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long corridor/maṇḍapa in Kāśī gleams like a master painting: surfaces appear inlaid with deep red, golden-yellow, madder, blue, and speckled tones, as if pigments became gemstones.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Avimukta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is suggested through ‘as-if inlaid’ beauty—Kāśī’s sacred space is portrayed as intentionally crafted by higher power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī, via vivid artistic and gem-like imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.