Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

गांधारी गर्भशमनी गतिभ्रष्टगतिप्रदा । गोमती गुह्यविद्यागौर्गोप्त्री गगनगामिनी

Transliteration

gāṃdhārī garbhaśamanī gatibhraṣṭagatipradā | gomatī guhyavidyāgaurgoptrī gaganagāminī

Translation

غاندھاري: التي تُسكّن ألم المقيّدين بالرحم؛ والتي تهدي من ضلّ عن مساره إلى الطريق القويم. غوماتي: المتلألئة بالحكمة السرّية؛ الحامية التي تسير في فضاء السماء.

Word by Word

• गांधारी: Gāndhārī (name/epithet)
• गांधारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गर्भशमनी: reliever of pregnancy/womb-related affliction
• गर्भशमनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भ-शमनी (प्रातिपदिक; शम्-धातु से ‘शमनी’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गर्भ’ (womb/pregnancy) + ‘शमनी’ (reliever/appeaser)

• गतिभ्रष्टगतिप्रदा: giver of the right path to those who have strayed
• गतिभ्रष्टगतिप्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गति-भ्रष्ट-गति-प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातु से ‘प्रद’/‘प्रदा’ + टाप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गतिभ्रष्ट’ (those who have lost their way) + ‘गति’ (path) + ‘प्रदा’ (giver)

• गोमती: Gomatī; she who possesses cows
• गोमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘possessing cows’/name of river

• गुह्यविद्यागौर्: Gaurī of secret knowledge (mistress of esoteric lore)
• गुह्यविद्यागौर्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुह्य-विद्या-गौर् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘गौर’/‘गौरी’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—गुह्यविद्या (secret knowledge) + गौर्/गौरी (the fair one)

• गोप्त्री: protectress
• गोप्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; गुप्-धातु से ‘गोप्तृ’ + ङी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक—protector

• गगनगामिनी: moving in the sky
• गगनगामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन-गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक; गम्-धातु से ‘गामिन्’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गगन’ (sky) + ‘गामिनी’ (moving)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Devī as goptṛ and satpatha-pradā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as a protective mother stands between a suffering soul and the wheel of birth; with gentle hand she calms womb-sorrow and points a luminous path upward; secret-knowledge symbols (yantra, manuscript, lamp) glow near her as she moves through the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gomatī (name/river-epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those who have strayed can regain dharmic direction through the Devī’s protection and inner (guhya) wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī’s praise-cycle (Kāśīkhaṇḍa); while not naming a single tīrtha, it supports Kāśī as a refuge that restores one’s spiritual gati.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the emphasis is on seeking refuge (śaraṇāgati) and devotional praise for protection and right guidance.