Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

खंडितप्रणताघौघा खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी । खातैनः कंदसंदोहा खड्गखट्वांग खेटिनी

Transliteration

khaṃḍitapraṇatāghaughā khalabuddhivināśinī | khātainaḥ kaṃdasaṃdohā khaḍgakhaṭvāṃga kheṭinī

Translation

هي التي تحطّم سيولَ الآثام لمن انحنى لها؛ وتُفني خبثَ العقول؛ وتنبش الإثمَ المتراكم وتقتلعُه من الجذور—هي حاملةُ السيف، والعصا المكلَّلة بالجمجمة، والتُّرس.

Word by Word

• खंडितप्रणताघौघा: she who destroys the mass of sins of those who bow
• खंडितप्रणताघौघा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्डित-प्रणत-अघ-ओघा (प्रातिपदिक; खण्ड्-धातु से ‘खण्डित’ + ओघ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—खण्डित (destroyed) + प्रणत (those who bow) + अघ (sins) + ओघ (flood/heap)

• खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी: destroyer of wicked intellect
• खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खल-बुद्धि-विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; नश्-धातु से ‘विनाशिन्’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘खल’ (wicked) + ‘बुद्धि’ (mind) + ‘विनाशिनी’ (destroyer)

• खात: a pit; a dug place
• खात: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खात (प्रातिपदिक; खन्-धातु से ‘खात’ = dug/pit)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अर्थे—‘खातम्’ (pit/dug place) इति नामरूपम्

• एनः: sin
• एनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘sin’

• कंदसंदोहा: a mass/cluster of tubers (bulbs)
• कंदसंदोहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्द-सन्दोहा (प्रातिपदिक; सन्दोह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘कन्द’ (bulb/tuber; also root) + ‘सन्दोह’ (mass/collection)

• खड्गखट्वांगखेटिनी: she who bears sword and khatvāṅga
• खड्गखट्वांगखेटिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खड्ग-खट्वाङ्ग-खेटिनी (प्रातिपदिक; खेटिन् ‘bearing’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—खड्ग (sword) + खट्वाङ्ग (club with skull) + खेटिन्/खेटिनी (bearing/holding)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Devī as pāpa-nāśinī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands at the threshold of Kāśī’s sacred lanes, radiant and formidable, holding sword, skull-topped staff, and shield; torrents of dark sin-clouds shatter as devotees bow.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Surrender (praṇāma) to the Devī is portrayed as a decisive remedy that destroys even deep-rooted sin and harmful tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kāśī’s glorification (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), implying that devotion in Kāśī is especially sin-destroying and protective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction appears; the implied practice is praṇāma, stuti, and remembrance of the Devī for pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin).