Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

दारुकेश्वर तीर्थे तु दारुकेशसमीपतः । पातालतालुवदनामाकाशोष्ठीं धराधराम्

Transliteration

dārukeśvara tīrthe tu dārukeśasamīpataḥ | pātālatāluvadanāmākāśoṣṭhīṃ dharādharām

Translation

At the Darukeśvara Tīrtha, near Lord Darukeśa, there stands a Devī whose mouth is like the palate of Pātāla, whose lips reach to the sky, and who is firm as the earth-bearer, the mountain.

Word by Word

• dārukeśvara-tīrthe: at the Dārukeśvara pilgrimage-spot
• dārukeśvara-tīrthe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dārukeśvara-tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक; दारुकेश्वर + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘दारुकेश्वरस्य तीर्थे’

• tu: indeed / but
• tu: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• dārukeśa-samīpataḥ: near Dārukeśa
• dārukeśa-samīpataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dārukeśa-samīpatas (प्रातिपदिक; दारुकेश + समीपतः)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त) = ‘समीपतः’ (from near); ‘दारुकेशस्य समीपतः’

• pātāla-tālu-vadanām: having a mouth/palate like the netherworld
• pātāla-tālu-vadanām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātāla-tālu-vadanā (प्रातिपदिक; पाताल + तालु + वदना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय: ‘पातालं तालुं वदनं यस्याः/यस्याḥ’ (describing mouth/palate)

• ākāśa-oṣṭhīm: with sky-like lips
• ākāśa-oṣṭhīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa-oṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक; आकाश + ओष्ठी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘आकाश-सदृश-ओष्ठी’

• dharādharām: Dharādharā (the earth-bearer; a named being)
• dharādharām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā-dharā (प्रातिपदिक; धरा + धरा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘धरां धरतीति’ = earth-bearer (name/epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dārukeśvara-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Near a Śiva shrine ‘Dārukeśa’ by a sacred ford, a gigantic Devī stands: mouth like the cavernous palate of Pātāla, lips touching the sky, body immovable like a mountain—an awe-inspiring guardian figure looming over the kṣetra boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Dārukeśvara Tīrtha
• Dārukeśa (Śiva)
• Devī (protectress)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as divinely guarded; its tīrthas are protected by formidable Śakti-forms that uphold dharma and sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Darukeśvara Tīrtha, near the shrine of Darukeśa (Śiva) in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it begins a dhyāna-style description of the guarding Devī at the tīrtha.