Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

गोत्रप्रवर्धिनी गुण्या गुणातीता गुणाग्रणीः । गुहांबिका गिरिसुता गोविंदांघ्रिसमुद्भवा

Transliteration

gotrapravardhinī guṇyā guṇātītā guṇāgraṇīḥ | guhāṃbikā girisutā goviṃdāṃghrisamudbhavā

Translation

Elle fait croître les lignées nobles ; la vertueuse—au-delà des guṇa, et pourtant première parmi toutes les excellences. Mère de Guha, fille de la Montagne ; née et sanctifiée par les pieds de Govinda.

Word by Word

• गोत्रप्रवर्धिनी: she who increases the lineage/clan
• गोत्रप्रवर्धिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवर्धिनी (कृदन्त; √वृध् (धातु) + णिनि/िणी-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्ता (agent-noun), विशेषण

• गुण्या: virtuous; worthy of qualities
• गुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गुणातीता: beyond the guṇas
• गुणातीता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीता (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) + अति-उपसर्ग + क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्ता, विशेषण

• गुणाग्रणीः: leader among virtues
• गुणाग्रणीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्रणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ई-प्रातिपदिक (अग्रणी), संधि-रूप: अग्रणीः

• गुहाम्बिका: Mother (Ambikā) of the cave (Guhā)
• गुहाम्बिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गिरिसुता: daughter of the mountain
• गिरिसुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गोविन्दाङ्घ्रि-समुद्भवा: arisen from Govinda’s feet
• गोविन्दाङ्घ्रि-समुद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भवा (कृदन्त; √भू (धातु) + सम्-उद्-उपसर्ग + क्त/अ-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘समुद्भवा’ = उत्पन्ना, विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Kāśī, the Devī is praised as the augmenter of noble lineages and as Pārvatī—mother of Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya), mountain-born, yet mystically ‘arising from Govinda’s feet’ (a syncretic Vaiṣṇava-Śaiva-Śākta epithet).

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Girisutā (Pārvatī)
• Govinda (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Devī upholds worldly welfare (family/lineage) while also transcending the guṇas, uniting practical dharma with liberation-oriented spirituality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī’s māhātmya; the verse strengthens the devotional atmosphere of Kāśī where both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava reverence converge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse supports Devi worship for gotra-kalyāṇa (family welfare) and guṇa-śuddhi (purification of qualities).