Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स्तंभनी मोहनीमाया बहुमाया बलोत्कटा । उच्चाटनी महोल्कास्या दनुजेंद्रक्षयंकरी

Transliteration

staṃbhanī mohanīmāyā bahumāyā balotkaṭā | uccāṭanī maholkāsyā danujeṃdrakṣayaṃkarī

Translation

Sie ist die Macht, die lähmt und festhält; die betörende Māyā; die Trägerin mannigfacher Täuschungen, wild an Stärke. Sie ist die Kraft, die vertreibt und mit der Wurzel ausreißt; die Große mit flammendem Antlitz—die den Untergang der Herren der Dānava-Heere bewirkt.

Word by Word

• स्तंभनी: the one who causes stupefaction/immobility
• स्तंभनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तम्भन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्तम्भ् (धातु) + णी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण (fem. nom. sg.)

• मोहनीमाया: enchanting illusion
• मोहनीमाया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहनी (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (मोहनी च सा माया च)

• बहुमाया: of many illusions
• बहुमाया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (बह्वी माया यस्याः/या)

• बलोत्कटा: exceedingly strong
• बलोत्कटा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलस्य उत्कटा = very powerful)

• उच्चाटनी: the one who drives away/expels
• उच्चाटनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्चाटन (प्रातिपदिक; √चट्/√चाट् (धातु) + णी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण

• महोोल्कास्या: whose mouth is like a great meteor/flame
• महोोल्कास्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्/मह (प्रातिपदिक) + उल्का (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तत्पुरुष-समासः (उल्केव आस्यं यस्याः)

• दनुजेंद्रक्षयंकरी: causing the destruction of the lord of the Danavas
• दनुजेंद्रक्षयंकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + करि/करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दनुजेन्द्रस्य क्षयं करोति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce Devī-form with flame-like face (maholkāsyā), radiating mantric power—stambhana and mohana as visible bands of light immobilizing and bewildering dānava-lords; the battlefield set against a subtle Kāśī skyline/ghāṭa silhouette.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dānava
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is not merely gentle; it also protects dharma by restraining, dispelling, and destroying adharmic forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, thus framed within the sanctity of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), even when the verse itself lists Devī’s epithets.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse; it is primarily a stuti-like enumeration of Devī’s powers.