Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

दीर्घायुःकारिणी दीर्घा दोग्ध्री दूषणवर्जिता । दुग्धांबुवाहिनी दोह्या दिव्या दिव्यगतिप्रदा

Transliteration

dīrghāyuḥkāriṇī dīrghā dogdhrī dūṣaṇavarjitā | dugdhāṃbuvāhinī dohyā divyā divyagatipradā

Translation

هي التي تمنح طول العمر، وهي واسعةٌ باقية؛ الحلوبُ التي تُفيض غذاءً بلا عيب؛ حاملةُ مياهٍ كالحليب مُحيية—تُستدرّ بنفحات التعبّد؛ وهي إلهيةٌ تمنح المصير الإلهي.

Word by Word

• दीर्घायुḥकारिणी: bestower of long life
• दीर्घायुḥकारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दीर्घम् आयुः करोति इति) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दीर्घा: long; tall
• दीर्घा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दोग्ध्री: milker; one who milks
• दोग्ध्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + तृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → दोग्धृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-कृदन्त (agent noun) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दूषणवर्जिता: free from blemish
• दूषणवर्जिता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूषण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-रहितार्थ/तत्पुरुष (दूषणैः वर्जिता = free from faults) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुग्ध: milk
• दुग्ध: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → दुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वाहिनी: carrying; bearing
• वाहिनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह् (धातु) + णिनी (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → वाहिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनी-कृदन्त (carrying) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दोह्या: to be milked
• दोह्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → दोह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (fit to be milked) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दिव्या: divine
• दिव्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दिव्यगतिप्रदा: giver of divine progress/path
• दिव्यगतिप्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिव्यायाः गतेः प्रदा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a luminous mother-cow metaphorically offering ‘milk-like waters’ to devotees; devotees collect water in vessels at ghāṭa; aura suggests divya-gati (upward path).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is the flawless source of nourishment and auspicious longevity, ultimately guiding devotees toward a higher, divine destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered stuti, where divine boons and ‘divya-gati’ are repeatedly associated with worship in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is named; the metaphor ‘dohyā’ implies sustained devotion and praise as the means by which blessings are drawn forth.