Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कमलाकल्पलतिका कालीकलुषवैरिणी । कमनीयजलाकम्रा कपर्दिसुकपर्दगा

Transliteration

kamalākalpalatikā kālīkaluṣavairiṇī | kamanīyajalākamrā kapardisukapardagā

Translation

ಹೇ ದೇವಿ! ನೀ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀಸಮಾನ, ವರಗಳ ಕಲ್ಪಲತೆಯಂತೆ; ನೀ ಕಾಳೀರೂಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವ ಕಲుషದ ವೈರಿಣಿ. ನೀ ಮನೋಹರ ಜಲದಂತೆ ರಮಣೀಯಳು; ಸುಂದರ ಜಟೆಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಶುಭ ಕೇಶಗುಚ್ಛಗಳಿಂದ ಅಲಂಕೃತವಾಗಿ ಸಂಚರಿಸುವವಳು.

Word by Word

• कमलाकल्पलतिका: a creeper-like beauty comparable to Lakṣmī/lotus
• कमलाकल्पलतिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमला + कल्प + लतिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कमलायाः कल्पा लतिका इव)

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• कलुष: impurity, stain
• कलुष: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (दोष/मल)

• वैरिणी: enemy of Kālī’s impurities; destroyer of stains
• वैरिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (काली-कलुषस्य वैरिणी)

• कमनीय: lovely
• कमनीय: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमनीय (प्रातिपदिक; √कम् धातु-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद); ‘कमनीय’ = मनोहर

• जल: water
• जल: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग

• आकम्रा: dark-hued like lovely water
• आकम्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + कम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कमनीय-जल-आकम्रा = जलसदृश-श्यामा/नीलाभा)

• कपर्दि: Kapardin (Śiva)
• कपर्दि: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपर्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (शिव-पर्याय; जटाधर)

• सु: well; very
• सु: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: उपसर्गवत् अव्यय (intensifier: ‘well, very’) समासाङ्ग

• कपर्दगा: she who goes with Kapardin (Śiva)
• कपर्दगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपर्द + गा (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् धातु-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कपर्दं/कपर्दिनं गच्छति/अनुगच्छति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devotee/pilgrim audience within the chapter frame (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī shown in a dual-aura: gentle Lakṣmī-like boon-giver with wish-fulfilling creeper motif, yet with Kālī’s fierce purity-destroying power; flowing water imagery and ornate braided hair.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Kamalā (Lakṣmī)
• Kālī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess unites prosperity and purification—granting blessings while destroying inner and outer defilement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting frames the praise; Kāśī is presented as a place where such purifying, boon-giving divine power is accessible.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual instruction appears; the verse is descriptive praise for devotional recitation.