Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

शुष्कोदरी च तत्रास्ति देवी विकटलोचना । कृत्तिवासादुदीच्यां तु काशीप्रत्यूह भक्षिणी

Transliteration

śuṣkodarī ca tatrāsti devī vikaṭalocanā | kṛttivāsādudīcyāṃ tu kāśīpratyūha bhakṣiṇī

Translation

Dort ist auch die Göttin Śuṣkodarī, die weitblickende Vikaṭalocanā. Nördlich von Kṛttivāsa ist sie berühmt als die Verschlingerin der Hindernisse von Kāśī, die die Hemmnisse auf dem heiligen Pfad hinwegnimmt.

Word by Word

• शुष्कोदरी: (the goddess) Dry-bellied (Śuṣkodarī)
• शुष्कोदरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुष्क-उदरिन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—शुष्कम् उदरं यस्याः सा

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विकटलोचना: having fierce/terrible eyes
• विकटलोचना: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकट-लोचना (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—विकटे लोचने यस्याः सा; विशेषणम् (देवी)

• कृत्तिवासात्: from Kṛttivāsa
• कृत्तिवासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अपादान/देश-निर्देश (from Kṛttivāsa)

• उदीच्याम्: in the north
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि (in the northern direction)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• काशीप्रत्यूहभक्षिणी: devourer/remover of Kāśī’s obstacles
• काशीप्रत्यूहभक्षिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी-प्रत्यूह-भक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (देवी); तत्पुरुषः—काश्याः प्रत्यूहान् भक्षयति इति (obstacle-devourer of Kāśī)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuṣkodarī (Vikaṭalocanā)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Fierce wide-eyed Devī Vikaṭalocanā with lean ‘śuṣka-udarī’ form stands as guardian; she consumes dark, smoky forms symbolizing obstacles while pilgrims proceed safely toward Kāśī shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Devī Śuṣkodarī
• Vikaṭalocanā
• Kṛttivāsa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine Feminine guards Kāśī’s sanctity by consuming hindrances—teaching that pilgrimage succeeds through grace as much as effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devī-sthāna of Śuṣkodarī/Vikaṭalocanā, located north of Kṛttivāsa in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse functions as a sthāna-māhātmya marker identifying the goddess and her protective role.