Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

क्षेमकरी सिद्धिकरी छिन्नमस्ता शुभानना । शाकंभरी मोक्षलक्ष्मीस्त्रिवर्गफलदायिनी

Transliteration

kṣemakarī siddhikarī chinnamastā śubhānanā | śākaṃbharī mokṣalakṣmīstrivargaphaladāyinī

Translation

তিনি ক্ষেমকারিণী, সিদ্ধিদায়িনী, শুভমুখী ছিন্নমস্তা। তিনি শাকম্ভরী; তিনি মোক্ষলক্ষ্মী—ধর্ম, অর্থ ও কাম এই ত্রিবর্গের ফল প্রদানকারিণী।

Word by Word

• क्षेमकरी: bestowing welfare
• क्षेमकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेम (प्रातिपदिक) + करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेमं करोति)

• सिद्धिकरी: granting success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धिं करोति/ददाति)

• छिन्नमस्ता: Chinnamastā (the severed-headed goddess)
• छिन्नमस्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त; √छिद् (धातु) क्त) + मस्तक/मस्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (छिन्नं मस्तकं यस्याः/या)

• शुभानना: having an auspicious face
• शुभानना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (शुभम् आननं यस्याः)

• शाकंभरी: Śākambharī (she who nourishes with vegetables)
• शाकंभरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + भरी (प्रातिपदिक; √भृ (धातु) + णी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शाकैः भरणं करोति/शाकं भरति)

• मोक्षलक्ष्मीः: the fortune/glory of liberation
• मोक्षलक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्षस्य लक्ष्मीः)

• त्रिवर्गफलदायिनी: giver of the fruits of the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गफलदायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + णिनी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (त्रिवर्गस्य फलानि ददाति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī in a benevolent yet potent form: auspicious-faced (śubhānanā), holding symbols of protection and boon-giving; subtle iconographic hints of Chinnamastā and Śākambharī as named aspects, arranged as emanations around the central radiance of mokṣa-lakṣmī.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Chinnamastā
• Śākambharī
• Mokṣalakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is portrayed as the complete benefactress—granting worldly well-being and higher fulfillment, culminating in liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, aligning Devī’s grace with the sacred landscape of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears here; it is a theological listing of Devī’s forms and boon-giving capacities.