Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

दीर्घायुःकारिणी दीर्घा दोग्ध्री दूषणवर्जिता । दुग्धांबुवाहिनी दोह्या दिव्या दिव्यगतिप्रदा

Transliteration

dīrghāyuḥkāriṇī dīrghā dogdhrī dūṣaṇavarjitā | dugdhāṃbuvāhinī dohyā divyā divyagatipradā

Translation

അവൾ ദീർഘായുസ്സ് നൽകുന്നവൾ, താനേ ദീർഘവും സ്ഥിരവും; പോഷണം നൽകുന്ന ദോഗ്ധ്രീ, ദോഷവിമുക്ത. പാലുപോലെയുള്ള ജീവദായിനി ജലം വഹിക്കുന്നവൾ; ഭക്തിയാൽ ‘ദോഹ്യ’യായവൾ; ദിവ്യയും ദിവ്യഗതി നൽകുന്നവളും.

Word by Word

• दीर्घायुḥकारिणी: bestower of long life
• दीर्घायुḥकारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दीर्घम् आयुः करोति इति) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दीर्घा: long; tall
• दीर्घा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दोग्ध्री: milker; one who milks
• दोग्ध्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + तृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → दोग्धृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-कृदन्त (agent noun) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दूषणवर्जिता: free from blemish
• दूषणवर्जिता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूषण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-रहितार्थ/तत्पुरुष (दूषणैः वर्जिता = free from faults) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुग्ध: milk
• दुग्ध: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → दुग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• अम्बु: water
• अम्बु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वाहिनी: carrying; bearing
• वाहिनी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह् (धातु) + णिनी (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → वाहिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनी-कृदन्त (carrying) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दोह्या: to be milked
• दोह्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → दोह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (fit to be milked) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दिव्या: divine
• दिव्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दिव्यगतिप्रदा: giver of divine progress/path
• दिव्यगतिप्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिव्यायाः गतेः प्रदा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā as a luminous mother-cow metaphorically offering ‘milk-like waters’ to devotees; devotees collect water in vessels at ghāṭa; aura suggests divya-gati (upward path).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is the flawless source of nourishment and auspicious longevity, ultimately guiding devotees toward a higher, divine destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered stuti, where divine boons and ‘divya-gati’ are repeatedly associated with worship in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is named; the metaphor ‘dohyā’ implies sustained devotion and praise as the means by which blessings are drawn forth.