Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

धर्मोर्मिवाहिनी धुर्या धात्री धात्रीविभूषणम् । धर्मिणी धर्मशीला च धन्विकोटिकृतावना

Transliteration

dharmormivāhinī dhuryā dhātrī dhātrīvibhūṣaṇam | dharmiṇī dharmaśīlā ca dhanvikoṭikṛtāvanā

Translation

അവൾ ധർമ്മതരംഗങ്ങളെ വഹിക്കുന്ന ധുര്യ, എല്ലാ പുണ്യഭാരങ്ങളും ചുമക്കാൻ യോഗ്യ. അവൾ ധാത്രി—ധാരണശക്തിയുടെ ഭൂഷണവും മഹിമയും; ധർമ്മിണി, ധർമ്മശീല, ദൂരസീമകളും വരണ്ട പ്രദേശങ്ങളും പോലും കാത്തുരക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൾ.

Word by Word

• धर्म-ऊर्मि-वाहिनी: she who carries the waves of dharma
• धर्म-ऊर्मि-वाहिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ऊर्मयः ताः वहति इति)

• धुर्या: worthy, eminent
• धुर्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; योग्य/श्रेष्ठा (fit, eminent)

• धात्री: the sustainer/mother (Dhātrī)
• धात्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धात्री-विभूषणम्: ornament of Dhātrī
• धात्री-विभूषणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्री (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धात्र्याः विभूषणम्)

• धर्मिणी: righteous, endowed with dharma
• धर्मिणी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; धर्मयुक्ता (possessing dharma)

• धर्म-शीला: of virtuous nature
• धर्म-शीला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मं शीलं यस्याः)

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

• धन्वि-कोटि-कृत-अवना: she whose protection is made by a crore of archers
• धन्वि-कोटि-कृत-अवना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्विन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + अवना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (धन्विनां कोट्या कृतम् अवनम्/रक्षणम् यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa context, commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Gaṅgā as a radiant goddess flowing through Kāśī, bearing ‘waves of Dharma’, sheltering pilgrims and protecting the farthest margins of the land; ghāṭas, lamps, and ascetics frame her as Dhātrī (sustainer).

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Dhātrī
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustaining and protective; the Divine is praised as the force that carries, nourishes, and safeguards the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s celebratory praise, harmonizing the Goddess’s sustaining nature with Kāśī’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a stuti emphasizing dharmic living and divine protection.