Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

शिवभक्तः स्वयं यत्र पौलस्त्यः स्वद्रिकूटतः । कोटिहाटककूटानि आनयामास राक्षसैः

Transliteration

śivabhaktaḥ svayaṃ yatra paulastyaḥ svadrikūṭataḥ | koṭihāṭakakūṭāni ānayāmāsa rākṣasaiḥ

Translation

Tại đó, chính Paulastya—một tín đồ của Śiva—đã sai các Rākṣasa mang từ đỉnh núi của mình về những đống vàng tính đến hàng koṭi koṭi.

Word by Word

• śiva: of Śiva
• śiva: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• bhaktaḥ: devotee
• bhaktaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक; √bhaj + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (devotee)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic: oneself)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (where)

• paulastyaḥ: Paulastya (Rāvaṇa)
• paulastyaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम (name: descendant of Pulastya, i.e., Rāvaṇa)

• sva: own
• sva: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• dri: mountain
• dri: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: dri (प्रातिपदिक; अद्रि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण

• kūṭataḥ: from the peak
• kūṭataḥ: Apādāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादानम् (from the peak)

• koṭi: crore (ten million)
• koṭi: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण (numerical: crore)

• hāṭaka: gold
• hāṭaka: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण; सुवर्ण-वाचक (gold)

• kūṭāni: masses/heaps
• kūṭāni: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म

• ānayāmāsa: brought
• ānayāmāsa: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; causative-like intensive perfect usage (brought)

• rākṣasaiḥ: by the rākṣasas
• rākṣasaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent-associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करणम्/सहकारि (by/with the demons)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Paulastya, portrayed as a fervent Śiva-bhakta, commands Rākṣasas to bring colossal heaps of gold from his own mountain summit; the gold is stacked in Kāśī as part of the divine adornment.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Avimukta)
• Śiva
• Paulastya
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty beings associated with power and conquest are shown subordinated to devotion—Śiva-bhakti redirects wealth toward sacred purpose in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-Kāśī, where extraordinary offerings are gathered to magnify the kṣetra’s divine splendor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse highlights devotional offering (wealth used in service of the sacred).