Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अलक्ष्मीः कालकर्णी च दुःस्वप्नो दुर्विचिंतितम् । गंगागंगेति जपनात्तानि नोपविशंति हि

Transliteration

alakṣmīḥ kālakarṇī ca duḥsvapno durviciṃtitam | gaṃgāgaṃgeti japanāttāni nopaviśaṃti hi

Translation

Misfortune, Kālakarṇī, evil dreams, and harmful anxieties—by chanting “Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā,” these never take hold at all.

Word by Word

• अलक्ष्मीः: misfortune, ill-luck (Alakṣmī)
• अलक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कालकर्णी: Kālakārṇī (goddess of misfortune)
• कालकर्णी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकर्णी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• दुःस्वप्नः: bad dream, nightmare
• दुःस्वप्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःस्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुः + स्वप्न)

• दुर्विचिन्तितम्: evil thought, ill-considered thing
• दुर्विचिन्तितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्विचिन्तित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुर् + विचिन्तित)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (मन्त्र-उच्चारणे पदरूपम्)

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā (repeated)
• गङ्गा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• जपनात्: from (the act of) chanting
• जपनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (धातु) + नात् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाववाचक (action noun); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग प्रायः, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; धातुः—जप् (भ्वादि)

• तानि: those (evils)
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• उपविशन्ति: they sit near / they take hold (do not approach)
• उपविशन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; धातुः—विश् (तुदादि) उपसर्गः—उप

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī-saṅgata Gaṅgā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī sits near the Gaṅgā at dawn, hands in añjali, softly repeating “Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā”; shadowy personifications of Alakṣmī and Kālakārṇī retreat, while calm light spreads over the ghāṭas.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Kālakarṇī
• Alakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of Gaṅgā’s name is portrayed as a powerful protection that dispels misfortune and mental afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā is glorified through her very name, functioning as a portable tīrtha via japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gaṅgā-nāma japa—repeating “Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā”—is explicitly prescribed.