Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85
अर्धांगेनास्मद्भयतो योषिदेका निगूहिता । तस्य ग्रामेपि सकले द्वितीयो न चतुष्पदः
ardhāṃgenāsmadbhayato yoṣidekā nigūhitā | tasya grāmepi sakale dvitīyo na catuṣpadaḥ
ہم سے خوف کھا کر اس نے اپنے آدھے بدن پر ایک ہی عورت کو چھپا رکھا ہے؛ اور اس کے سارے گاؤں میں دوسرا کوئی چارپایا بھی نہیں۔
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; describing a polemical/ironic portrayal)
Tirtha: Kailāsa-purī (referential)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Śiva as Ardhanārīśvara—half male ascetic, half female goddess—standing before a sparse settlement; Nandin as the lone bull; the scene framed as a boastful/mock comparison by opulent figures.
FAQs
The verse uses striking imagery to point to Śiva’s uniqueness—his life is beyond ordinary household norms, hinting at the mystery of Śiva-Śakti unity.
Kāśī is the underlying mahātmya setting, where Śiva’s exceptional nature and retinue are celebrated.
None; it is descriptive, contributing to the narrative praise/contrast typical of māhātmya passages.