Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

चंद्रिका चंद्रकांतांबुश्चंचदापा चलद्युतिः । चिन्मयी चितिरूपा च चंद्रायुतशनानना

Transliteration

caṃdrikā caṃdrakāṃtāṃbuścaṃcadāpā caladyutiḥ | cinmayī citirūpā ca caṃdrāyutaśanānanā

Translation

അവൾ തന്നെയാണ് ചന്ദ്രിക; ചന്ദ്രകാന്തമണിയിൽ നിന്നൊഴുകുന്ന ജലമയ പ്രഭ; അവളുടെ ദ്യുതി ചഞ്ചലമായി മിന്നുന്നു. അവൾ ചിന്മയി, ചിതിരൂപിണി; അവളുടെ മുഖം കോടി ചന്ദ്രന്മാരെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തം.

Word by Word

• चंद्रिका: moonlight
• चंद्रिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• चंद्रकान्ताम्बुः: water of the moonstone
• चंद्रकान्ताम्बुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रकान्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अम्बु नपुंसक), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रकान्तायाः अम्बु)

• चंचदापा: with moving waters
• चंचदापा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चत् (कृदन्त; चल् धातु) + आपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (चञ्चद् आपा)

• चलद्युतिः: with flickering radiance
• चलद्युतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चलत् (कृदन्त; चल् धातु) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (चलत् द्युतिः)

• चिन्मयी: made of consciousness
• चिन्मयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मय-प्रत्ययान्त (consisting of)

• चितिरूपा: whose form is awareness
• चितिरूपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिति (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चितेः रूपा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चंद्रायुतशनानना: whose face is like a multitude of moons
• चंद्रायुतशनानना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + शन (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (चन्द्रायुत-शन-आननं यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/ṛṣis seeking Kāśī-mahātmyam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī appears as moonlight over the Gaṅgā, her face like countless moons; moonstone-like watery radiance shimmers, suggesting consciousness itself rippling through Kāśī’s night.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Śakti)
• Kāśī (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is not merely luminous like the moon—she is Consciousness itself; devotion in Kāśī is meant to awaken inner awareness (citi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Vārāṇasī, the sacred geography underlying the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct injunction appears; the verse supports contemplative japa/recitation focusing on the Devī as Consciousness.