Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

विधिनाप्यत्र संपूज्या गौरी सर्वविधानवित् । स्तनंधयेन सहिता धयता स्तनमुन्मुखम्

Transliteration

vidhināpyatra saṃpūjyā gaurī sarvavidhānavit | stanaṃdhayena sahitā dhayatā stanamunmukham

Translation

Hier ist Gaurī — kundig aller Riten — nach Vorschrift zu verehren, dargestellt zusammen mit einem säugenden Kind, das, zur Brust emporgewandt, daran trinkt.

Word by Word

• विधिना: by the proper procedure
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also/indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• संपूज्या: to be duly worshipped
• संपूज्या: Vidhi (Injunction/predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-पूज् (धातु) → संपूज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-भाव), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सम्+पूज्’ (to worship)

• गौरी: Gaurī
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वविधानवित्: knower of all procedures
• सर्वविधानवित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु) → वित् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वविधानं वेत्ति’ = knower of all rites); ‘वित्’ = जानन्/knowing

• स्तनंधयेन: with the suckling (child)
• स्तनंधयेन: Saha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक) + धय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘स्तनं धयति’ = suckling infant)

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) → सहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘युक्ता/समन्विता’ (accompanied)

• धयता: by the sucking (child)
• धयता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धय (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘धय’ (to suck/drink)

• स्तनम्: the breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• उन्मुखम्: facing toward (it)
• उन्मुखम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (turned toward/raised toward)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Iconographic instruction: Gaurī is worshipped in a maternal pose, holding or seated with a nursing infant whose face turns upward to the breast; the scene is intimate, tender, and ritually framed with lamps and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace is approached through proper worship (vidhi) and meaningful symbolism—Gaurī as the maternal bestower of nourishment and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma setting, where Gaurī’s worship is presented as especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform a rule-based worship of Gaurī, with her form represented along with a nursing infant (a santāna-prada iconographic cue).