Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

धूर्धूर्जटिजटासंस्था धन्या धीर्धारणावती । नंदा निर्वाणजननी नंदिनी नुन्नपातका

Transliteration

dhūrdhūrjaṭijaṭāsaṃsthā dhanyā dhīrdhāraṇāvatī | naṃdā nirvāṇajananī naṃdinī nunnapātakā

Translation

তাই মহাতপস্বী শিৱৰ জটাৰ মাজত নিবাস কৰে; তাই ধন্যা, জ্ঞানৱতী, আৰু অন্তৰ্ধাৰণাৰ শক্তিৰে সমৃদ্ধ। তাই নন্দা—নিৰ্বাণ জন্মদায়িনী জননী; তাই নন্দিনী—যি পাপ দূৰ কৰি বিনাশ কৰে।

Word by Word

• धूः: Dhūḥ (a name/epithet)
• धूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (दुर्लभ-शब्दः; सम्भवतः ‘धूः’ = धूम/धूलि/ध्वजा इत्यादि-पर्यायः, स्तुत्यर्थे नाम)

• धूः: Dhūḥ (repeated epithet)
• धूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-नाम

• जटि-जटा-संस्था: abiding in the matted locks of the ascetic
• जटि-जटा-संस्था: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्था (स्था धातु, क्त/टाप्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जटिनः जटासु संस्थिता)

• धन्या: blessed, fortunate
• धन्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धीः: intelligence, insight
• धीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धारणावती: possessing concentration/retention
• धारणावती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक) + वती (वत्-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धारणां वहति/अस्ति यस्याः)

• नन्दा: Nandā (the joyous one)
• नन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निर्वाण-जननी: mother of liberation (nirvāṇa)
• निर्वाण-जननी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक) + जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निर्वाणस्य जननी)

• नन्दिनी: Nandinī (delighting one)
• नन्दिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नुन्न-पातका: she who drives away sins
• नुन्न-पातका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नुन्न (नुद् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नुन्नानि पातकानि यस्याः / पातकं नुदति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Śiva-jaṭā-sambandhinī) in Kāśī/Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as the great ascetic with towering jaṭā, Gaṅgā emerging as a luminous stream from his locks; below, Kāśī ghāṭas with pilgrims; Gaṅgā as Nandā/Nandinī blessing devotees, a dark demon of sin fleeing; a subtle lotus of nirvāṇa opening above the water.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Śiva
• Nandā
• Nandinī
• Nirvāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Union with the Śaiva divine and steady inner concentration culminate in liberation; the Goddess is praised as the source of nirvāṇa and the destroyer of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s praise of the sacred realm where Śiva and Śakti are intimately present—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhāraṇā (concentration) is highlighted as a yogic practice; no detailed external ritual is specified.