Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

तथैव भूतधात्रीशः क्षेत्रदक्षिणरक्षकः । गोकर्णः पश्चिमद्वारं पाति कोटिगणावृतः

Transliteration

tathaiva bhūtadhātrīśaḥ kṣetradakṣiṇarakṣakaḥ | gokarṇaḥ paścimadvāraṃ pāti koṭigaṇāvṛtaḥ

Translation

اسی طرح بھوت دھاتریش کاشی کے مقدّس کھیتر کے جنوبی حصّے کا نگہبان ہے؛ اور کروڑوں گنوں سے گھرا ہوا گوکرن مغربی دروازے کی حفاظت کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle/emphasis)

• भूतधात्रीशः: Lord of Bhūtadhātrī (a gaṇa/guardian)
• भूतधात्रीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + धात्री + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतधात्रीणाम् ईशः)

• क्षेत्रदक्षिणरक्षकः: protector of the southern side of the sacred area
• क्षेत्रदक्षिणरक्षकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + दक्षिण + रक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रस्य दक्षिणस्य रक्षकः)

• गोकर्णः: Gokarṇa
• गोकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• पश्चिमद्वारम्: the western gate
• पश्चिमद्वारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पश्चिमं द्वारम्)

• पाति: protects/guards
• पाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• कोटिगणावृतः: surrounded by crores of gaṇas
• कोटिगणावृतः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + गण + आवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ ‘to cover’ + आ-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (कोटिगणैः आवृतः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like vision of Kāśī: Bhūtadhātrīśa as southern guardian and Gokarṇa at the western gate, both surrounded by innumerable gaṇas, standing vigilant at the city’s luminous boundary with Gaṅgā in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Bhūtadhātrīśa
• Gokarṇa
• Gaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a divinely protected sacred field, safeguarded by Śiva’s gaṇas in every direction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a kṣetra with directional gates and gaṇa-guardians.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes protective guardianship of the sacred space.