Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

घंटारवप्रिया घोराऽघौघविध्वंसकारिणी । घ्राणतुष्टिकरी घोषा घनानंदा घनप्रिया

Transliteration

ghaṃṭāravapriyā ghorā'ghaughavidhvaṃsakāriṇī | ghrāṇatuṣṭikarī ghoṣā ghanānaṃdā ghanapriyā

Translation

അവൾ ഘണ്ടാരവം പ്രിയപ്പെടുന്നവൾ; ഘോരരൂപിണി, പാപപ്രവാഹങ്ങളെ ധ്വംസിക്കുന്നവൾ. പവിത്ര സുഗന്ധംകൊണ്ട് ഘ്രാണത്തെ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന ഘോഷാരൂപിണി; ഘനാനന്ദസ്വരൂപിണി, കൃപാമേഘസമ പ്രിയ.

Word by Word

• घण्टारवप्रिया: fond of the sound of bells
• घण्टारवप्रिया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घण्टा (प्रातिपदिक) + रव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• घोरा: terrible; awe-inspiring
• घोरा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अघौघविध्वंसकारिणी: destroyer of floods of sin
• अघौघविध्वंसकारिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + विध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + णिनि/िणी-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्ता, विशेषण

• घ्राणतुष्टिकरी: causing satisfaction to the sense of smell
• घ्राणतुष्टिकरी: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घ्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + करी (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + णिनि/िणी-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्ता, विशेषण

• घोषा: Ghoṣā (a name/epithet); sound
• घोषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घोषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम/विशेषणरूपेण

• घनानन्दा: dense/abundant bliss; cloud-like joy
• घनानन्दा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• घनप्रिया: fond of clouds; fond of density/abundance
• घनप्रिया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī mandira-sannidhi (Devī precinct)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful Devī in temple doorway, bells swinging, incense clouds, devotees offering flowers; a dark torrent labeled ‘aghaugha’ dissolves into light; raincloud imagery suggests ‘ghanapriyā’—cool, nourishing grace.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Whole-bodied devotion—sound (bells), fragrance (incense), and praise—becomes a means for sin-destruction and the experience of divine bliss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśī’s devotional setting; the imagery strongly matches temple worship in Kāśī’s shrines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied temple upacāras: ringing bells and offering fragrant substances (dhūpa), alongside stotra/recitation.