Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तयाथ प्रार्थिता गौरी गर्भिण्या भक्तितोषिता । पुत्रं देहि महामाये साक्षाद्विष्ण्वंशसंभवम्

Transliteration

tayātha prārthitā gaurī garbhiṇyā bhaktitoṣitā | putraṃ dehi mahāmāye sākṣādviṣṇvaṃśasaṃbhavam

Translation

तब गर्भवती स्त्री ने भक्ति से प्रसन्न हुई गौरी से प्रार्थना की—‘हे महामाया! मुझे विष्णु-वंश से उत्पन्न साक्षात् पुत्र प्रदान करो।’

Word by Word

• तया: by her
• तया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• प्रार्थिता: was entreated
• प्रार्थिता: Kriyā (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु; √अर्थ्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive participle) ‘having been entreated’

• गौरी: Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• गौरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• गर्भिण्या: by the pregnant woman
• गर्भिण्या: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• भक्तितोषिता: pleased by devotion
• भक्तितोषिता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तोषित (कृदन्त; √तुष्, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भक्त्या तोषिता’ (pleased by devotion)

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• देहि: grant; give
• देहि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु; √दा)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामाये: O Mahāmāyā
• महामाये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘महती माया यस्याः सा’ (O great enchantress)

• साक्षात्: directly; manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्षार्थक (directly; manifestly)

• विष्ण्वंशसंभवम्: born of Viṣṇu’s portion
• विष्ण्वंशसंभवम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘विष्णोः अंशात् सम्भवः’ (born from a portion of Viṣṇu) विशेषण of ‘पुत्रम्’

Speaker

Skanda (narrative voice; deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaurī-sthāna in Kāśī (general)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pregnant queen, hands folded, prays before Gaurī; the Goddess, radiant and compassionate, is shown pleased by devotion; offerings of flowers, incense, and lamps surround the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Mahāmāyā
• Viṣṇu
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to the Goddess, especially in a sanctified context, is portrayed as a swift cause for divine favor and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, the sanctity of Kāśī forms the backdrop for the Goddess’s responsiveness to prayer.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A devotional supplication (prārthanā) to Gaurī for the boon of a son.