Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

पश्चिमाभिमुखी नित्यं प्रबद्धकरसंपुटा । इंदीवरवतीं मालां दधती दक्षिणे करे

Transliteration

paścimābhimukhī nityaṃ prabaddhakarasaṃpuṭā | iṃdīvaravatīṃ mālāṃ dadhatī dakṣiṇe kare

Translation

Stets nach Westen gewandt, die Hände in einer verbundenen, schalenförmigen Geste gehalten, trägt sie in der rechten Hand eine Girlande voller blauer Lotosblüten.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमाभिमुखी: facing west
• पश्चिमाभिमुखी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिमाभिमुखी (प्रातिपदिक) = पश्चिम + अभिमुखी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पश्चिमं अभिमुखी)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय/नित्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• प्रबद्धकरसंपुटा: with hands joined/folded together
• प्रबद्धकरसंपुटा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रबद्धकरसंपुटा (प्रातिपदिक) = प्रबद्ध + कर + संपुट
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (प्रबद्धः कर-संपुटः यस्याः सा)

• इंदीवरवतीम्: having blue-lotus (flowers)
• इंदीवरवतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इंदीवरवती (प्रातिपदिक) = इंदीवर + वत्(मतुप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing)

• मालाम्: garland
• मालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दधती: bearing/holding
• दधती: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: in the right
• दक्षिणे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• करे: hand
• करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇikarṇikā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotee-audience within dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇikarṇikā Devī stands ever facing west, hands held in a joined cupped gesture; in the right hand she holds a garland of blue lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇikarṇikā Devī
• Indīvara (blue lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Precise contemplative imagery (dhyāna-lakṣaṇa) steadies the mind and links devotion to the sacred geography of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Maṇikarṇikā Tīrtha in Kāśī, through the goddess’s fixed directional and symbolic attributes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse supplies details for visualization/meditation on the deity’s form.