Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

सा दुर्गाशक्तिभिः सार्धं काशीं रक्षति सर्वतः । ताः प्रयत्नेन संपूज्या कालरात्रिमुखा नरैः

Transliteration

sā durgāśaktibhiḥ sārdhaṃ kāśīṃ rakṣati sarvataḥ | tāḥ prayatnena saṃpūjyā kālarātrimukhā naraiḥ

Translation

Cette Durgā, avec ses Śaktis, protège Kāśī de toutes parts; aussi les hommes doivent-ils vénérer avec ardeur ces Śaktis, à commencer par Kālarātri.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुर्गाशक्तिभिः: with Durgā’s powers
• दुर्गाशक्तिभिः: Karana/Sahakari (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दुर्गायाः शक्तयः)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: Sambandha (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with/along with)

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• रक्षति: protects
• रक्षति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वतः: from all sides
• सर्वतः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/पर्यायवाचक (adverb: on all sides)

• ताः: they (those)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• संपूज्याः: are to be worshipped
• संपूज्याः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) कृदन्त; कर्मणि/भावे विधेयविशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (to be worshipped)

• कालरात्रिमुखाः: headed by Kālarātri
• कालरात्रिमुखाः: Visheshana (Adjective of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'कालरात्रिः मुखं यस्याः/यासाम्' (having Kālarātri as the foremost/face)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śakti-rakṣā-maṇḍala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durgā stands as a radiant protectress over the map-like silhouette of Kāśī, while multiple Śaktis emanate around her like a directional garland; devotees offer worship beginning with the fierce Kālarātri.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Śaktis (Nine Powers)
• Kālarātri
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred city is protected by divine energies; honoring those protective powers aligns the devotee with the kṣetra’s spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as a protected kṣetra (sacred field) guarded by Durgā and her Śaktis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Durgā’s Śaktis diligently, explicitly mentioning Kālarātri as foremost among them.