Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

दुरासदा दानशीला द्राविणी द्रुहिणस्तुता । दैत्यदानवसंशुद्धिकर्त्री दुर्बुद्धिहारिणी

Transliteration

durāsadā dānaśīlā drāviṇī druhiṇastutā | daityadānavasaṃśuddhikartrī durbuddhihāriṇī

Translation

عصيّة على النيل، مُحِبّة للعطاء؛ واهبة للغنى والوفرة؛ يثني عليها دروهينا (براهما)؛ مطهِّرة حتى للدايتيا والدانافا—تزيل سوء النية وخبث العقل.

Word by Word

• दुरासदा: difficult to approach
• दुरासदा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + आसद् (धातु) + अ (कृत्) → दुरासद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (hard to approach) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दानशीला: having the habit of giving
• दानशीला: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दानं शीलं यस्याः) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• द्राविणी: wealth; giver of wealth
• द्राविणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• द्रुहिण: of Druhiṇa (Brahmā)
• द्रुहिण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुहिण (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular) (as first member in compound)

• स्तुता: praised
• स्तुता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तु (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → स्तुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त (praised) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दैत्य: of demons (Daityas)
• दैत्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member in compound)

• दानव: of Dānavas
• दानव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member in compound)

• संशुद्धि: purification; cleansing
• संशुद्धि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + शुध् (धातु) + क्तिन् (कृत्) → शुद्धि/संशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular) (as first member: of purification)

• कर्त्री: doer; maker
• कर्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तृ (कृत्) → कर्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-कृदन्त (doer/maker) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्बुद्धि: bad intellect; folly
• दुर्बुद्धि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular) (as first member: of bad intellect)

• हारिणी: remover; dispeller
• हारिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) + णिनी (कृत्) → हारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनी-कृदन्त (removing/taking away) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā Devī praised by Brahmā (Druhiṇa) in a celestial assembly; below, devotees give alms at the ghāṭa; a daitya/dānava figure is shown being purified, shedding darkness; a dark cloud labeled ‘durbuddhi’ dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Brahmā (Druhiṇa)
• Daityas
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess purifies even deeply rooted negativity and grants right understanding; generosity and inner cleansing are portrayed as her natural gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

As part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-focused stuti, the verse supports Kāśī as a place where charity, purification, and wisdom are especially empowered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is highlighted as a divine quality and implied practice aligned with Kāśī-dharma and Devī worship.