Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

आधाय शासनं मूर्ध्नि गणाधीशोथ धूर्जटेः । प्रतस्थे त्वरितः काशीं स्थितिज्ञः स्थितिहेतवे

Transliteration

ādhāya śāsanaṃ mūrdhni gaṇādhīśotha dhūrjaṭeḥ | pratasthe tvaritaḥ kāśīṃ sthitijñaḥ sthitihetave

Translation

Đặt mệnh lệnh của Dhūrjaṭi lên đỉnh đầu, Chúa tể các Gaṇa liền vội vã lên đường đến Kāśī—biết rõ đạo lý trật tự, để gìn giữ và củng cố trật tự ấy.

Word by Word

• ādhāya: having placed
• ādhāya: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√dhā (धातु) + ल्यप् → ādhāya (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund) ‘having placed’

• śāsanam: command, order
• śāsanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• mūrdhni: on (his) head
• mūrdhni: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• gaṇādhīśaḥ: lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• gaṇādhīśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa + adhīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक (then)

• dhūrjaṭeḥ: of Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• dhūrjaṭeḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūrjaṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• pratasthe: set out, departed
• pratasthe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√sthā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tvaritaḥ: quick, hastened
• tvaritaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvarita (प्रातिपदिक; from √tvar)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; भूतकृत्/विशेषण ‘hastened’

• kāśīm: to Kāśī
• kāśīm: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• sthiti-jñaḥ: knower of proper procedure/state
• sthiti-jñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthiti + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• sthiti-hetave: for the sake of (maintaining) order/stability
• sthiti-hetave: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya) (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa style; verse is descriptive narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇādhipa reverently accepts Dhūrjaṭi’s command, symbolically placing it upon his head, then departs swiftly toward Kāśī with purposeful stride.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Śiva (Dhūrjaṭi)
• Gaṇeśa (Gaṇādhiśa)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority is carried with humility; divine order (sthiti) is protected through prompt, disciplined action in service of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, the destination whose sanctity is linked with the maintenance of cosmic and moral order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates departure and purpose (sthiti-hetu).