Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

दंष्टाकरालवदनां ललज्जिह्वातिभीषणाम् । अंतरिक्षैकपादाग्रां पिबंतीं रुधिरं बहु

Transliteration

daṃṣṭākarālavadanāṃ lalajjihvātibhīṣaṇām | aṃtarikṣaikapādāgrāṃ pibaṃtīṃ rudhiraṃ bahu

Translation

ಅವನು ಅವಳನ್ನು ಕಂಡನು—ಹೊರಚಾಚಿದ ದಂಷ್ಟ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಭೀಕರ ಮುಖವಳಾದಳು, ಲೋಲಜಿಹ್ವೆಯಿಂದ ಅತಿಭಯಂಕರಳು; ಆಕಾಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದೇ ಪಾದಾಗ್ರದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಂತು ಬಹು ರಕ್ತವನ್ನು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಳು।

Word by Word

• दंष्टा-कराल-वदनाम्: (her) having a face terrifying with fangs
• दंष्टा-कराल-वदनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + कराल (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दंष्ट्राभिः करालं वदनं यस्याः)

• ललत्-जिह्वा-अति-भीषणाम्: (her) with a lolling tongue, exceedingly dreadful
• ललत्-जिह्वा-अति-भीषणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + अति (अव्यय) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (ललज्जिह्वा च सा अतिभीषणा च)

• अन्तरिक्ष-एक-पाद-अग्राम्: (her) poised on the tip of one foot in mid-air
• अन्तरिक्ष-एक-पाद-अग्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अन्तरिक्षे एकपादाग्रे स्थिताम्/एकपादाग्रां)

• पिबन्तीम्: drinking
• पिबन्तीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि विशेषणरूपेण

• रुधिरम्: blood
• रुधिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहु: much, a lot
• बहु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणम् (रुधिरम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying goddess/śakti figure with protruding fangs and lolling tongue balances on the tip of one foot in mid-air, drinking abundant blood; the background suggests a dark liminal sky before reaching Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Vārāṇasī
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the most dreadful forms of sin are depicted as powerless before the higher dharma and sanctity that the Purāṇa attributes to Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī is the implied sacred locus, where the narrative will stress exceptional sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse; it is a descriptive passage establishing the nature of Brahmahatyā as a fearsome affliction.