Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 130

Devanagari script

अथ गच्छन्महादेव्या गृहद्वारि निषण्णया । प्राकृतस्त्रीस्वरूपिण्या भिक्षायै प्रार्थितोतिथिः

Transliteration

atha gacchanmahādevyā gṛhadvāri niṣaṇṇayā | prākṛtastrīsvarūpiṇyā bhikṣāyai prārthitotithiḥ

Translation

ثمّ لمّا مضى الضيفُ في طريقه، جلستْ المهاديفي عند بابِ بيتٍ في هيئةِ امرأةٍ عاديّة، وسألته الصدقةَ متضرّعةً.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: मङ्गल/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• गच्छन्: going
• गच्छन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while going)

• महादेव्या: by the Great Goddess
• महादेव्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• गृहद्वारि: at the house-door
• गृहद्वारि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह + द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गृहस्य द्वारम्)

• निषण्णया: by (her) seated (form)
• निषण्णया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + सद् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (seated)

• प्राकृतस्त्रीस्वरूपिण्या: by (her) having the form of an ordinary woman
• प्राकृतस्त्रीस्वरूपिण्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत + स्त्री + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्षः (प्राकृता स्त्री-स्वरूपिणी)

• भिक्षायै: for alms
• भिक्षायै: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• प्रार्थितः: requested
• प्रार्थितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; (requested)

• अतिथिः: the guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (household-threshold līlā within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrow Kāśī lane: a traveler-guest pauses as an ‘ordinary’ woman (Mahādevī in disguise) sits at a doorway, palm extended for alms; a faint divine aura or lion motif subtly hints at her true identity.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine may appear in humble forms to test and uplift beings through charity and compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, depicted as a place where the Goddess herself moves among households.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā-dāna (giving alms) and honoring the needy/guest as a sacred opportunity.