Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अंशुमालाह्यंशुमती त्वंगीकृतषडानना । अंधतामिस्रहंत्र्यंधुरं जनाह्यंजनावती

Transliteration

aṃśumālāhyaṃśumatī tvaṃgīkṛtaṣaḍānanā | aṃdhatāmisrahaṃtryaṃdhuraṃ janāhyaṃjanāvatī

Translation

O strahlende Devī, mit einem Kranz aus Lichtstrahlen geschmückt, du bist die Helligkeit selbst; du hast den Sechsgesichtigen Herrn, Ṣaḍānana (Skanda), als den Deinen angenommen. Du vernichtest die blinde Finsternis, und für die Menschen bist du das göttliche Augenbalsam, das wahres Sehen und Unterscheidung schenkt.

Word by Word

• aṃśu-mālā-āhya-aṃśumatī: known as Aṃśumālā, radiant (Aṃśumatī)
• aṃśu-mālā-āhya-aṃśumatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + āhya (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśumat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः, ‘अंशुमाला-आह्या’ (अंशुमाला इति नाम्ना ख्याता) तथा ‘अंशुमती’ (किरणवती)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• aṅgī-kṛta-ṣaḍ-ānanā: she who has accepted/adopted the six-faced one (Ṣaḍānana)
• aṅgī-kṛta-ṣaḍ-ānanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṅgī (अङ्गी/प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त) + ṣaṭ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—कृत (भूतकृदन्त/PPP); समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘षडाननं (षड्वदनं) अङ्गीकृतं यस्याः सा’

• aṃdha-tāmisra-haṃtrī: destroyer of blind darkness
• aṃdha-tāmisra-haṃtrī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃdha (प्रातिपदिक) + tāmisra (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु) → haṃtrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘अन्धतामिस्रं हन्ति’

• aṃdhuram: Aṃdhura (a name/epithet)
• aṃdhuram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃdhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (पाठानुसारं)

• janāhyaṃjanāvatī: renowned among people; possessing collyrium/black ointment
• janāhyaṃjanāvatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janāhya (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃjanāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास/संयोगः—कर्मधारयवत्, ‘जनाह्या’ (जनैः आह्या/जनप्रसिद्धा) + ‘अञ्जनावती’ (अञ्जनयुक्ता/अञ्जनसमृद्धा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (standard audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands radiant, garlanded with sun-like rays; beside her is Ṣaḍānana (six-faced Skanda) shown as embraced/adopted by her; darkness retreats as she applies divine añjana to the eyes of devotees, granting luminous discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Ṣaḍānana (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace removes ignorance (tāmisra) and grants inner vision; the Mother is praised as the source of discernment and illumination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography; the hymn’s purpose is to magnify devotion within the Kāśī Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; it is suited for japa/stotra recitation for clarity of mind and spiritual insight.