Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

खेखेलगामिनी खस्था खंडेंदुतिलकप्रिया । खेचरीखेचरीवंद्या ख्यातिः ख्यातिप्रदायिनी

Transliteration

khekhelagāminī khasthā khaṃḍeṃdutilakapriyā | khecarīkhecarīvaṃdyā khyātiḥ khyātipradāyinī

Translation

Celle qui se meut en jouant dans le ciel, qui demeure aux hauteurs, qui chérit l’ornement du croissant de lune; la Vagabonde du firmament, vénérée même par les voyageurs célestes : elle est la Gloire elle-même et la Donatrice de sainte renommée.

Word by Word

• खेखेलगामिनी: she who moves/roams in the sky, sporting in the sky
• खेखेलगामिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खे-खेल-गामिनी (प्रातिपदिक; गम्-धातु से ‘गामिन्’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘गामिनी’ (going/moving) with उपपद-समास (खे + खेल)

• खस्था: dwelling in the sky
• खस्था: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख-स्था (प्रातिपदिक; स्था-धातु से ‘स्थ’ + टाप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ख’ (sky) + ‘स्था’ (standing/abiding)

• खंडेंदुतिलकप्रिया: fond of the crescent-moon tilaka
• खंडेंदुतिलकप्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्ड-इन्दु-तिलक-प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; प्रि-धातु से ‘प्रिय’ + टाप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—खण्डेन्दु (crescent-moon) + तिलक (forehead-mark) + प्रिया (fond of)

• खेचरी: sky-moving; moving in the air
• खेचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख-चरी (प्रातिपदिक; चर्-धातु से ‘चर’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ख’ (sky) + ‘चरी’ (moving)

• खेचरीवंद्या: worshipped by the sky-goers (celestials)
• खेचरीवंद्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खेचरी-वन्द्या (प्रातिपदिक; वन्द्-धातु से ‘वन्द्य’ + टाप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘खेचरी’ (sky-goers) + ‘वन्द्या’ (worthy of worship)

• ख्यातिः: fame; renown
• ख्यातिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक; ख्या-धातु से ‘ख्याति’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ख्यातिप्रदायिनी: giver of fame
• ख्यातिप्रदायिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्याति-प्रदायिनी (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातु से ‘प्रदायिन्’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘ख्याति’ (fame) + ‘प्रदायिनी’ (giver)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Devī-stuti context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi audience (typical purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Devī glides through the night-sky above Kāśī, crescent-moon ornament shining; celestial khecaras (vidyādharas/gandharvas) bow as her aura becomes the very embodiment of sacred renown.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kāśī (implied context)
• Crescent Moon (indu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional praise (nāma-stuti) reveals the Devī as the source of auspicious reputation and spiritual honor, elevating the devotee’s standing in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where Devī’s names are celebrated as part of the city’s sacred greatness (māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; its practical application is nāma-japa/recitation of the Devī’s epithets for merit and sanctified renown.