Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

मुने विश्वभुजा गौरी विशालाक्षी पुरः स्थिता । संहरंती महाविघ्नं क्षेत्रभक्तिजुषां सदा

Transliteration

mune viśvabhujā gaurī viśālākṣī puraḥ sthitā | saṃharaṃtī mahāvighnaṃ kṣetrabhaktijuṣāṃ sadā

Translation

O Weiser, Gaurī—Viśvabhujā, die weitäugige Göttin—steht vor den Andächtigen und vernichtet stets die großen Hindernisse derer, die Hingabe zum heiligen Kṣetra von Kāśī hegen.

Word by Word

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विश्वभुजा: Viśvabhujā (the all-armed one)
• विश्वभुजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + भुज्/भुजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘विश्वं भुजाः यस्याः/यस्य’ (having universal arms)

• गौरी: Gaurī
• गौरी: Karta (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशालाक्षी: Viśālākṣī
• विशालाक्षी: Karta (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘विशाले अक्षिणी यस्याः’ (wide-eyed)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikaraṇa (spatial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘in front’)

• स्थिता: standing, stationed
• स्थिता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’

• संहरन्ती: destroying, removing
• संहरन्ती: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (descriptive of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाविघ्नम्: great obstacle
• महाविघ्नम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महाविघ्न (महान् विघ्नः)

• क्षेत्रभक्तिजुषाम्: of those who practice devotion to the sacred place
• क्षेत्रभक्तिजुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + भक्ति + जुष् (धातु) + शतृ/क्विप्-आधारित प्रातिपदिक ‘जुष्’→‘जुष्’/‘जुष’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—क्षेत्रभक्तिजुष् (क्षेत्रे भक्तिं जुषन्ति ये)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘always’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśālākṣī / Viśvabhujā Gaurī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (explicitly addressed: ‘मुने’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaurī as Viśvabhujā, wide-eyed and radiant, stands at the forefront of Kāśī’s sacred lanes; behind her are pilgrims with folded hands; looming shadowy obstacles are cut down or dissolved by her protective power.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Viśvabhujā
• Viśālākṣī
• Kāśī (kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to the sacred kṣetra is safeguarded by the Goddess, who removes even formidable impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘kṣetra’ refers to Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as a protected sacred field under the Goddess’s guardianship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified; the emphasis is on kṣetra-bhakti—steadfast devotion to Kāśī and the Goddess.