Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

खंडितप्रणताघौघा खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी । खातैनः कंदसंदोहा खड्गखट्वांग खेटिनी

Transliteration

khaṃḍitapraṇatāghaughā khalabuddhivināśinī | khātainaḥ kaṃdasaṃdohā khaḍgakhaṭvāṃga kheṭinī

Translation

Celle qui brise les flots de péchés de ceux qui se prosternent; qui anéantit l’esprit mauvais; qui creuse et déracine le démérite amassé jusqu’à la racine—elle qui porte l’épée, le bâton surmonté d’un crâne et le bouclier.

Word by Word

• खंडितप्रणताघौघा: she who destroys the mass of sins of those who bow
• खंडितप्रणताघौघा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खण्डित-प्रणत-अघ-ओघा (प्रातिपदिक; खण्ड्-धातु से ‘खण्डित’ + ओघ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—खण्डित (destroyed) + प्रणत (those who bow) + अघ (sins) + ओघ (flood/heap)

• खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी: destroyer of wicked intellect
• खलबुद्धिविनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खल-बुद्धि-विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक; नश्-धातु से ‘विनाशिन्’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘खल’ (wicked) + ‘बुद्धि’ (mind) + ‘विनाशिनी’ (destroyer)

• खात: a pit; a dug place
• खात: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खात (प्रातिपदिक; खन्-धातु से ‘खात’ = dug/pit)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अर्थे—‘खातम्’ (pit/dug place) इति नामरूपम्

• एनः: sin
• एनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘sin’

• कंदसंदोहा: a mass/cluster of tubers (bulbs)
• कंदसंदोहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कन्द-सन्दोहा (प्रातिपदिक; सन्दोह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘कन्द’ (bulb/tuber; also root) + ‘सन्दोह’ (mass/collection)

• खड्गखट्वांगखेटिनी: she who bears sword and khatvāṅga
• खड्गखट्वांगखेटिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खड्ग-खट्वाङ्ग-खेटिनी (प्रातिपदिक; खेटिन् ‘bearing’ + ङीप्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—खड्ग (sword) + खट्वाङ्ग (club with skull) + खेटिन्/खेटिनी (bearing/holding)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Devī as pāpa-nāśinī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī stands at the threshold of Kāśī’s sacred lanes, radiant and formidable, holding sword, skull-topped staff, and shield; torrents of dark sin-clouds shatter as devotees bow.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Surrender (praṇāma) to the Devī is portrayed as a decisive remedy that destroys even deep-rooted sin and harmful tendencies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Kāśī’s glorification (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), implying that devotion in Kāśī is especially sin-destroying and protective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction appears; the implied practice is praṇāma, stuti, and remembrance of the Devī for pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin).