Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

इत्युदीरितमाकर्ण्य कुंभयोनेः षडाननः । यथावत्कथयामास गणराज कथां शुभाम्

Transliteration

ityudīritamākarṇya kuṃbhayoneḥ ṣaḍānanaḥ | yathāvatkathayāmāsa gaṇarāja kathāṃ śubhām

Translation

六面圣主（Ṣaḍānana）听闻阿伽斯提耶所言，便依次如法宣说诸伽那之王的吉祥圣传。

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — quotative particle

• उदीरितम्: what was spoken/uttered
• उदीरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्-√ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; object of ‘आकर्ण्य’

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√कर्ण्/√श्रु (धातु-अर्थे) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund)

• कुंभयोनेः: of Kumbhayoni (Agastya)
• कुंभयोनेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंभ + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुंभस्य योनिḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• षडाननः: the six-faced one (Skanda)
• षडाननः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (षड् आननानि यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular

• यथावत्: properly / in due order
• यथावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — adverb

• कथयामास: narrated/told
• कथयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्ष) periphrastic (आमास-योग), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg; परस्मैपद

• गणराज: O king of the gaṇas
• गणराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गणानां राजा), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; qualifies ‘कथाम्’

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda speaking begins; verse describes transition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Gaṇarāja/Vināyaka-kathā within Kāśī-mahātmyam)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhayoni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṣaḍānana (Skanda) begins narration to Agastya: seated on a lion/throne or kusa seat, six faces serene; Agastya attentive; behind them, a symbolic procession of gaṇas leading toward Kāśī’s shrines, indicating the ‘proper order’ of the Gaṇarāja story.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya (Kuṃbhayoni)
• Ṣaḍānana (Skanda)
• Gaṇarāja (Gaṇeśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious knowledge is transmitted through an ordered telling (yathāvat), emphasizing faithful preservation of sacred tradition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forthcoming account pertains to Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), framed as the sacred setting for Gaṇarāja’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it signals the beginning of an auspicious kathā (devotional narrative) about Gaṇarāja.