Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

दारिद्र्यदमनी दक्षा दुष्प्रेक्षा दिव्यमंडना । दीक्षावतीदुरावाप्या द्राक्षामधुरवारिभृत्

Transliteration

dāridryadamanī dakṣā duṣprekṣā divyamaṃḍanā | dīkṣāvatīdurāvāpyā drākṣāmadhuravāribhṛt

Translation

അവൾ ദാരിദ്ര്യം ദമിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൾ, ദക്ഷയും സമർത്ഥയും; അശുദ്ധർക്കു ദർശനദുര്ലഭ, എങ്കിലും ദിവ്യരുടെ അലങ്കാരം; ദീക്ഷാസമ്പന്ന, ദുർലഭപ്രാപ്യ—ദ്രാക്ഷാമധുരമായ ജലം ധരിച്ചു ആനന്ദവും കൃപയും നൽകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• dāridrya-damanī: remover of poverty
• dāridrya-damanī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāridrya (प्रातिपदिक) + damanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दारिद्र्यस्य दमनी)

• dakṣā: skilful, capable
• dakṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• duṣ-prekṣā: hard to look at; difficult to behold
• duṣ-prekṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dus (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + prekṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दुष्टया/दुःखेन प्रेक्षा)

• divya-maṃḍanā: divinely adorned; having divine ornamentation
• divya-maṃḍanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक) + maṃḍanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दिव्यं मण्डनं यस्याः/या)

• dīkṣā-vatī: possessing consecration/initiatory rite
• dīkṣā-vatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + vatī (प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्/वतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (दīkṣā-वतī = दीक्षायुक्ता)

• dur-āvāpyā: hard to attain
• dur-āvāpyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + āvāpyā (कृदन्त; √āp/आप् (धातु) ‘प्राप्तौ’ with ā-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘āvāpyā’ = तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (प्राप्या) with dur- = दुराप्या

• drākṣā-madhura-vāri-bhṛt: bearing water sweet like grapes
• drākṣā-madhura-vāri-bhṛt: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: drākṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + madhura (प्रातिपदिक) + vāri (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त; √bhṛ/भृ (धातु) ‘धारणे’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘bhṛt’ = वर्तमानकृदन्त (क्विप्) ‘धारयन्ती’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (śrī-pradā and śuddhi-pradā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience / tīrtha-yātrika ideal listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a divine ornament of the gods, shimmering with jewel-like water; a poor devotee’s empty bowl becomes filled (symbolic poverty-subduing); a veil-like aura hides her from the impure; grapes/vines motif subtly indicates ‘drākṣā-madhura’ sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Dīkṣā (initiation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True prosperity is portrayed as a fruit of devotion and consecration (dīkṣā); the Goddess removes inner and outer lack when approached with purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework situates this praise within Kāśī’s sacred sphere, where Devī-Śiva worship is held to be especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dīkṣā (religious initiation/consecration) is referenced as a divine attribute, implying disciplined entry into mantra and worship.