Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

रविरुवाच । देवि त्वदीयचरणांबुजरेणुगौरीं भालस्थलीं वहति यः प्रणतिप्रवीणः । जन्मांतरेपि रजनीकरचारुलेखा तां गौरयत्यतितरां किल तस्य पुंसः

Transliteration

raviruvāca | devi tvadīyacaraṇāṃbujareṇugaurīṃ bhālasthalīṃ vahati yaḥ praṇatipravīṇaḥ | janmāṃtarepi rajanīkaracārulekhā tāṃ gaurayatyatitarāṃ kila tasya puṃsaḥ

Translation

Ravi (die Sonne) sprach: O Göttin, der Mann, der in ehrfürchtiger Verneigung geübt ist, trägt auf seiner Stirn das Weiß, geboren aus dem Staub Deiner Lotosfüße. Selbst in einem anderen Leben lässt der liebliche Mondstreif auf seiner Braue dieses Zeichen umso heller erglänzen.

Word by Word

• रविः: Ravi (the Sun)
• रविः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √वच् → उवाच

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• त्वदीयचरणाम्बुजरेणुगौरीम्: made fair by the pollen/dust of your lotus-feet
• त्वदीयचरणाम्बुजरेणुगौरीम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय + चरण + अम्बुज + रेणु + गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास-श्रृङ्खला (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-मिश्र): त्वदीय (तव) + चरणाम्बुज (चरणरूपम् अम्बुजम्) + रेणु (धूलि) + गौरी (गौरवर्णा) — ‘तव चरणकमल-रेणुना गौरीभूताम्’

• भालस्थलीम्: the forehead-surface
• भालस्थलीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल + स्थली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: भालस्य स्थली

• वहति: bears, carries
• वहति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of vahati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• प्रणतिप्रवीणः: skilled in bowing (devotion)
• प्रणतिप्रवीणः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणति + प्रवीण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: प्रणतौ प्रवीणः (नमने कुशलः)

• जन्मान्तरे: in another birth
• जन्मान्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: जन्मनः अन्तरम्

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कार particle): ‘also/even’

• रजनीकरचारुलेखा: the lovely moon-streak (moonlight/mark)
• रजनीकरचारुलेखा: Karta (Subject of gaurayati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनीकर + चारु + लेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला: रजनीकरस्य (चन्द्रस्य) चारु लेखा

• ताम्: that (forehead)
• ताम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गौरयति: makes fair, beautifies
• गौरयति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गौरय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative-denominative sense ‘to make/consider fair, to whiten/adorn’

• अतितराम्: exceedingly
• अतितराम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतितरम् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्/adverb): ‘अत्यन्तम्/very greatly’

• किल: indeed, as is said
• किल: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थ particle): ‘indeed, it is said’

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुंसः: of the man (devotee)
• पुंसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Ravi (Sūrya/Mārtaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Devī-pāda-sevā ideal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Gaurī/Bhavānī; Śiva-vāmāṅga-hāriṇī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ravi addresses the Goddess: a devotee bows expertly, and the pale dust from her lotus-feet becomes a luminous mark on his forehead; in a future birth, the crescent-moon streak enhances that radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Moon (Rajanīkara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional surrender (praṇati) leaves a lasting spiritual imprint that carries merit beyond one lifetime.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where the Devī associated with Śiva is praised as granting enduring auspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇati/namaskāra (reverent bowing) is highlighted as the key devotional act.