Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

गंधर्वीणां नरीणां च किन्नरीणां शतंशतम् । विद्याधरीणां नागीनां यक्षिणीनां शतानि षट्

Transliteration

gaṃdharvīṇāṃ narīṇāṃ ca kinnarīṇāṃ śataṃśatam | vidyādharīṇāṃ nāgīnāṃ yakṣiṇīnāṃ śatāni ṣaṭ

Translation

又有成百成百的乾闼婆女与人间少女，成百成百的紧那罗女；并有六百名持明女、龙女与夜叉女。

Word by Word

• गन्धर्वीणाम्: of the Gandharva-women
• गन्धर्वीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• नरीणाम्: of women
• नरीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• किन्नरीणाम्: of the Kinnara-women
• किन्नरीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• शतम्: a hundred (i.e., hundred upon hundred)
• शतम्: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• विद्याधरीणाम्: of the Vidyādhara-women
• विद्याधरीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्याधरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• नागीनाम्: of Nāga-women (serpent-maidens)
• नागीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• यक्षिणीनाम्: of Yakṣiṇīs
• यक्षिणीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshya (quantifier/संख्या)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), बहुवचनार्थे (indeclinable numeral)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not shown in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant celestial pavilion in Kāśī’s sacred aura, filled with ranks of Gandharvīs, Kinnarīs, Vidyādharīs, Nāgīs, and Yakṣiṇīs, arranged in symmetrical processional lines as an honor-guard for a forthcoming union.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharvī
• Narī
• Kinnarī
• Vidyādharī
• Nāgī
• Yakṣiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit (puṇya) in the Kāśī narrative is portrayed as yielding exalted, celestial honor—symbolized by vast divine retinues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework, where spiritual merit is celebrated through divine, otherworldly imagery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is stated in this verse; it describes the resulting celestial attendants.