Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

दुर्गाकुंडे नरः स्नात्वा सर्वदुर्गार्तिहारिणीम् । दुर्गां संपूज्य विधिवन्नवजन्माघमुत्सृजेत्

Transliteration

durgākuṃḍe naraḥ snātvā sarvadurgārtihāriṇīm | durgāṃ saṃpūjya vidhivannavajanmāghamutsṛjet

Translation

দুর্গাকুণ্ডে স্নান করে, সর্ব দুঃখ-দুর্গতি-হারিণী দেবী দুর্গাকে বিধিপূর্বক পূজা করলে, মানুষ নবজন্মজনিত পাপ ত্যাগ করে।

Word by Word

• दुर्गाकुंडे: in the Durgā-pond
• दुर्गाकुंडे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुर्गायाः कुण्डे)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; धातुः—स्ना (स्नान)

• सर्वदुर्गार्तिहारिणीम्: the remover of all distress in difficulties
• सर्वदुर्गार्तिहारिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वासां दुर्गाणाम् आर्तिं हरति इति)

• दुर्गाम्: Durgā
• दुर्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• संपूज्य: having duly worshipped
• संपूज्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया; धातुः—पूज्, उपसर्गः—सम्

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• नवजन्माघम्: the sin of (a) new birth
• नवजन्माघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नवस्य जन्मनः अघम्)

• उत्सृजेत्: should cast off / abandon
• उत्सृजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातुः—सृज्, उपसर्गः—उत्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Durgākuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim descends the stone steps of Durgākuṇḍa at dawn, water shimmering; after snāna he turns toward the nearby Durgā shrine, offering red flowers and a lamp, while the goddess is envisioned as ‘sarvadurgārti-hāriṇī’.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Durgākuṇḍa
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing and properly performed worship in Kāśī are shown as purifying acts that dissolve deep-seated impurity and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Durgākuṇḍa in Kāśī, praised for its power to aid purification when paired with Durgā-pūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Durgākuṇḍa followed by vidhivat (rule-based) worship of Durgā.