Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । विहितः स्यदनः सज्जस्ततोस्तु विजयोदयः । अष्टौ कंठीरवा यत्र यत्रोक्ष्णामष्टकं शुभम्

Transliteration

naṃdikeśvara uvāca | vihitaḥ syadanaḥ sajjastatostu vijayodayaḥ | aṣṭau kaṃṭhīravā yatra yatrokṣṇāmaṣṭakaṃ śubham

Translation

难提计湿伐罗说道：“当依仪轨备办车乘，使之整肃就绪；由此将生胜利与兴盛。其处有八狮，其处又有吉祥的八牛之群……”

Word by Word

• नन्दिकेश्वरः: Nandikeśvara
• नन्दिकेश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नन्देः ईश्वरः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √वच् (to speak)

• विहितः: is arranged/ordained
• विहितः: Kriya (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; √धा with उपसर्ग वि; ‘arranged/ordained’

• स्यादनः: the chariot
• स्यादनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्यन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘chariot’ (orthography in verse: स्यदनः)

• सज्जः: ready
• सज्जः: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (ready/prepared)

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (from there/then)

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• विजयोदयः: the rise of victory
• विजयोदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विजयस्य उदयः)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• कण्ठीरवाः: lions
• कण्ठीरवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठीरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (where)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (where)

• उक्ष्णाम्: of the bulls/oxen
• उक्ष्णाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्षन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• अष्टकम्: a set of eight; octad
• अष्टकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nom./Acc. singular); here as subject/complement

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (auspicious)

Speaker

Nandīkeśvara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) attendants/gaṇas; narrative audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nandīkeśvara, authoritative and calm, instructs attendants to ready a divine chariot; around the chariot are emblematic groups—eight lions and eight bulls—arranged symmetrically like guardians of directions.

Characters & Entities

• Nandīkeśvara
• Lions (kaṇṭhīrava)
• Bulls (ukṣan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right preparation aligned with dharma is portrayed as the foundation for victory; sacred symbolism marks auspicious power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Kāśī tīrtha narrative; it hints at a marked sacred locale identified by emblematic ‘eight lions’ and ‘eight bulls’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it gives an instruction to prepare (vihita/sajja) the chariot—an action within the unfolding sacred episode.