Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

कपालमालाभरणां महाभीषणरूपिणीम् । चर्ममुंडां नरो नत्वा क्षेत्रविघ्नैर्न बाध्यते

Transliteration

kapālamālābharaṇāṃ mahābhīṣaṇarūpiṇīm | carmamuṃḍāṃ naro natvā kṣetravighnairna bādhyate

Translation

L’homme qui se prosterne devant Carmamuṇḍā, parée d’un chapelet de crânes et d’une forme des plus terrifiantes, n’est point accablé par les obstacles dans l’enceinte sacrée.

Word by Word

• kapāla-mālā-bharaṇām: wearing a garland of skulls
• kapāla-mālā-bharaṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + bharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (kapālamālāyāḥ bharaṇam yasyāḥ)

• mahā-bhīṣaṇa-rūpiṇīm: of a very terrifying form
• mahā-bhīṣaṇa-rūpiṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महाभीषणं रूपं यस्याः)

• carma-muṇḍām: Carmamuṇḍā (the goddess)
• carma-muṇḍām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carma (प्रातिपदिक) + muṇḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (carmāṇi muṇḍāni/मुंडानि यस्याः)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• natvā: having bowed (to)
• natvā: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having bowed’

• kṣetra-vighnaiḥ: by obstacles related to the sacred field
• kṣetra-vighnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (kṣetrasya vighnāḥ)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• bādhyate: is afflicted/obstructed
• bādhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bādh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Carmamuṇḍā (kṣetra-rakṣikā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Carmamuṇḍā, fearsome Devī with skull-garland, wearing skin/charma, holding weapons; a devotee bows, and the path within the kṣetra clears of obstacles (symbolic removal of vighnas).

Characters & Entities

• Carmamuṇḍā
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Vighna (obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble devotion to the kṣetra-guardian brings protection and smoothens one’s pilgrimage by removing impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra in general, through veneration of its guardian Devī Carmamuṇḍā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to Carmamuṇḍā for freedom from kṣetra-obstacles.