Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

ग्रहपीडाहरा गुंद्रा गरघ्नी गानवत्सला । घर्महंत्री घृतवती घृततुष्टिप्रदायिनी

Transliteration

grahapīḍāharā guṃdrā garaghnī gānavatsalā | gharmahaṃtrī ghṛtavatī ghṛtatuṣṭipradāyinī

Translation

അവൾ ഗ്രഹപീഡകൾ അകറ്റുന്ന പോഷകമാതാവ്; വിഷവും അനിഷ്ടവും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഗാനവത്സല. അവൾ ദാഹതാപം ഹരിക്കുന്നു; ഘൃതസമ ദീപ്തി-പോഷണസമ്പന്ന, ഘൃതാഹുതിജന്യ തൃപ്തി നൽകുന്നവൾ.

Word by Word

• ग्रहपीडाहरा: remover of planetary afflictions
• ग्रहपीडाहरा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + हरा (कृदन्त; √हृ (धातु) + अ-प्रत्यय/ण्वुल्-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘हर’ = हरणकर्त्री, विशेषण

• गुंद्रा: Gundrā (a name/epithet)
• गुंद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुंद्रा (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्द)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम/विशेषणरूपेण

• गरघ्नी: slayer of poison
• गरघ्नी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु) + घ्नि-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; घ्नि-प्रत्ययान्ता (slayer), विशेषण

• गानवत्सला: fond of singing/chanting
• गानवत्सला: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• घर्महन्त्री: destroyer of heat/suffering
• घर्महन्त्री: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + हन्त्री (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु) + तृच्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्ता (doer), विशेषण

• घृतवती: possessing ghee; rich in ghee
• घृतवती: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृतवत् (प्रातिपदिक; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषण

• घृततुष्टिप्रदायिनी: giver of satisfaction through ghee
• घृततुष्टिप्रदायिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायिनी (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) + प्र-उपसर्ग + णिनि/िणी-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्ता, विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra (Gaṅgā-ghāṭas and Devī-sannidhi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as healer of planetary afflictions: a protective motherly figure receiving ghee lamps and homa offerings; devotees sing; oppressive heat and poison imagery dissolves into cool radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Grahas (planetary deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Devī is a compassionate remover of suffering—cosmic (graha) and bodily (heat/torment)—responding to devotion expressed through song and offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, the verse implies that worship in Kāśī supports śānti (pacification) from afflictions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly points to ghee-based offerings (ghṛta) such as homa/dīpa/naivedya, along with devotional singing (gāna) for appeasement and relief.