Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

घंटाकर्ण त्वमागच्छ महोदर महामते । काशीं यातं युवां तूर्णं ज्ञातुं तत्रत्य चेष्टितम्

Transliteration

ghaṃṭākarṇa tvamāgaccha mahodara mahāmate | kāśīṃ yātaṃ yuvāṃ tūrṇaṃ jñātuṃ tatratya ceṣṭitam

Translation

（主说：）“钟耳者伽那啊，前来；摩诃多罗，贤智者——你们二人速往迦尸，探知彼处所发生之事。”

Word by Word

• घण्टाकर्ण: O Ghaṇṭākarṇa
• घण्टाकर्ण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घण्टाकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आगच्छ: come
• आगच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• महोदर: O Mahodara
• महोदर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यातम्: go (you two)
• यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन (Dual)

• युवाम्: you two
• युवाम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजन (purpose)

• तत्रत्य: there, belonging to that place
• तत्रत्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्रत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• चेष्टितम्: activity, conduct
• चेष्टितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sarvajñanātha (Śiva) speaking within Skanda’s narration (deduced from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva issues a direct command naming Ghaṃṭākarṇa and Mahodara, gesturing toward Kāśī; the gaṇas stand ready, dynamic posture suggesting immediate departure.

Characters & Entities

• Ghaṃṭākarṇa
• Mahodara
• Kāśī
• Śiva (Sarvajñanātha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a divinely supervised realm where Śiva’s attendants are dispatched to witness and uphold sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the destination, setting up the later establishment of Ghaṃṭākarṇeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a command initiating a sacred journey.