Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

दूरदेशांतरचरी दुर्गमा देववल्लभा । दुर्वृत्तघ्नी दुर्विगाह्या दयाधारा दयावती

Transliteration

dūradeśāṃtaracarī durgamā devavallabhā | durvṛttaghnī durvigāhyā dayādhārā dayāvatī

Translation

അവൾ ദൂരദേശാന്തരങ്ങളിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നവൾ; ദുർഗമ, എങ്കിലും ദേവന്മാർക്ക് അതിപ്രിയ. ദുർവൃത്തിഘ്നി, അഗാധ; ദയാധാര, ദയാവതി.

Word by Word

• दूर: far
• दूर: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• देश: region; country
• देश: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• अंतर: interval; other; between
• अंतर: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• चरी: wanderer; moving about
• चरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर् (धातु) + णी (कृत्) → चरी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णी-कृदन्त (one who moves/roams) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्गमा: difficult to reach
• दुर्गमा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + गम (धातु) + अ (कृत्) → दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (hard to approach) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देववल्लभा: beloved of the gods
• देववल्लभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां वल्लभा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्वृत्त: bad conduct; wickedness
• दुर्वृत्त: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member: of bad conduct)

• घ्नी: destroyer (of)
• घ्नी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + णी (कृत्) → घ्नी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णी-कृदन्त (destroying) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्विगाह्या: hard to penetrate/enter
• दुर्विगाह्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + वि + गाह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → विगाह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (hard to enter/penetrate) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दयाधारा: stream of compassion
• दयाधारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दया एव धारा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दयावती: compassionate
• दयावती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) → दयावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वत्-तद्धित (possessing compassion) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā (as Devavallabhā, Dayāvatī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims from varied regions approaches Kāśī; Gaṅgā appears as an unfathomable, deep current with a visible ‘stream of compassion’ flowing toward repentant wrongdoers; devas offer flowers overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion does not excuse wrongdoing; it transforms conduct—Devī destroys evil habits while remaining an ocean-like mercy for seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of the Goddess in Kāśī, the pilgrimage-city where compassion and purification are central themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the moral prescription is correction of durvṛtta (unrighteous conduct) through devotion and grace.