Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

दरीविदारणपरा दांता दांतजनप्रिया । दारिताद्रितटा दुर्गा दुर्गारण्यप्रचारिणी

Transliteration

darīvidāraṇaparā dāṃtā dāṃtajanapriyā | dāritādritaṭā durgā durgāraṇyapracāriṇī

Translation

Elle s’emploie à fendre ravins et obstacles; maîtresse d’elle-même, elle est chère aux êtres disciplinés. Elle ouvre les flancs des montagnes et trace un passage; elle est Durgā, avançant sans crainte dans les forêts difficiles et les solitudes périlleuses.

Word by Word

• दरी: cave, cleft
• दरी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (cave/cleft)

• विदारण: splitting, rending
• विदारण: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + दृ (धातु) → विदारण (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: भाववाचक-प्रातिपदिक (act of splitting), समासाङ्ग

• परा: intent on
• परा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दरी-विदारणे परा = devoted to rending caves)

• दांता: self-controlled
• दांता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दांत (प्रातिपदिक; √दम् धातु → दान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘दान्त’ (tamed/self-controlled)

• दांतजनप्रिया: beloved of the disciplined
• दांतजनप्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दांत (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दांतजनस्य प्रिया = dear to the disciplined people)

• दारित: split, torn
• दारित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृ (धातु) → दारित (कृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; समासाङ्ग (split/torn)

• अद्रि: mountain
• अद्रि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (mountain)

• तटा: with torn mountain-sides/banks
• तटा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दारित-अद्रि-तटा = having mountain-sides split)

• दुर्गा: Durgā
• दुर्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवी-नाम

• दुर्गारण्यप्रचारिणी: roaming in the forest of Durgā / in difficult forests
• दुर्गारण्यप्रचारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र + चर् (धातु) → प्रचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दुर्गायाः अरण्ये प्रचारिणी = roaming in Durgā’s forest / in difficult forests)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (as vighna-bhedinī śakti)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as Durgā-like goddess striding through a dense forest, cleaving rocky ravines; a river-carved gorge opens into a safe path where disciplined pilgrims proceed fearlessly.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is praised as the remover of formidable obstacles and the protector who guides devotees through danger and difficulty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While not naming a single tirtha, it is situated within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s glorification of the sacred realm of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports devotional remembrance (stuti) for protection and obstacle-removal.