Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ऐरावतो दंतिवरश्चतुर्दंतोत्र राजते । द्वितीय इव कैलासो जंगमस्फटिकोज्ज्वलः

Transliteration

airāvato daṃtivaraścaturdaṃtotra rājate | dvitīya iva kailāso jaṃgamasphaṭikojjvalaḥ

Translation

Nơi đây rạng ngời Airāvata, bậc tối thắng trong loài voi, bốn ngà uy nghi—tựa như Kailāsa thứ hai, sáng trong như pha lê đang chuyển động.

Word by Word

• airāvataḥ: Airāvata (Indra's elephant)
• airāvataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: airāvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• daṃtivaraḥ: best of elephants
• daṃtivaraḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃtin (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (daṃtināṃ varaḥ = best of elephants)

• caturdaṃtaḥ: four-tusked
• caturdaṃtaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + daṃta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (catur-daṃtaḥ = four-tusked)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• rājate: shines/is splendid
• rājate: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rāj (राज्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• dvitīyaḥ: second
• dvitīyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iva: like/as if
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• kailāsaḥ: Kailāsa (mountain)
• kailāsaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• jaṃgama-sphaṭika-ujjvalaḥ: shining like moving crystal
• jaṃgama-sphaṭika-ujjvalaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṃgama (प्रातिपदik) + sphaṭika (प्रातिपदik) + ujjvala (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (jaṃgama-sphaṭika-ujjvalaḥ = bright like moving crystal / bright as if crystal in motion)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seeking interlocutor (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-tusked Airāvata, white as crystal, moves along the ghats; his body reflects lamp-light like sphaṭika; behind him rises a Kailāsa-like luminous mountain-form, suggesting Kāśī itself as a moving Kailāsa; devotees gaze in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Kailāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is presented as a living Kailāsa—where the divine is not distant but visibly present.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is glorified by being likened to Kailāsa and adorned with Indra’s Airāvata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse functions as descriptive praise supporting faith in pilgrimage and residence in the sacred city.