Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

दमग्राह्या देवमाता देवलोकप्रदर्शिनी । देवदेवप्रियादेवी दिक्पालपददायिनी

Transliteration

damagrāhyā devamātā devalokapradarśinī | devadevapriyādevī dikpālapadadāyinī

Translation

Elle qu’on ne saisit que par la maîtrise de soi ; Mère des devas ; celle qui révèle les mondes divins ; la Déesse chère au Dieu des dieux — elle confère les dignités mêmes des gardiens des directions.

Word by Word

• दम: self-control; restraint
• दम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• ग्राह्या: to be accepted/held
• ग्राह्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (to be accepted/held) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देवमाता: mother of the gods
• देवमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां माता) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देवलोकप्रदर्शिनी: revealer of the divine world
• देवलोकप्रदर्शिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदर्शिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवलोकस्य प्रदर्शिनी) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देवदेवप्रिया: beloved of the God of gods
• देवदेवप्रिया: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवदेवस्य प्रिया) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दिक्पालपददायिनी: giver of the posts of the guardians of directions
• दिक्पालपददायिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिक्पालानां पदं दायिनी) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Kāśī-Gaṅgā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Gaṅgā-Devī, radiant and maternal, seated on a makara, holding kamaṇḍalu/lotus, with dikpālas in the background receiving their stations; Kāśī ghāṭas and temples faintly visible.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Dikpālas
• Devaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment depends on dama (self-restraint); through disciplined devotion the Goddess reveals higher worlds and grants exalted spiritual status.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the implied sacred ground of this stuti, presenting it as a dharmic path within the Kāśī Mahātmya tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The key prescription is ethical-dharmic: dama (self-control) as the prerequisite for truly ‘grasping’ the Goddess.