Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

गजानना सिंहमुखी गृध्रास्या काकतुंडिका । उष्ट्रग्रीवा हयग्रीवा वाराही शरभानना

Transliteration

gajānanā siṃhamukhī gṛdhrāsyā kākatuṃḍikā | uṣṭragrīvā hayagrīvā vārāhī śarabhānanā

Translation

ഗജാനനാ, സിംഹമുഖീ, ഗൃധ്രാസ്യാ, കാകതുണ്ടികാ; ഉഷ്ട്രഗ്രീവാ, ഹയഗ്രീവാ, വാരാഹീ, ശരഭാനനാ—ഇവ യോഗിനികളുടെ നാമങ്ങളാണ്.

Word by Word

• गज-आनना: she who has an elephant-face
• गज-आनना: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘गज-आननं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सिंह-मुखी: lion-faced
• सिंह-मुखी: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + मुखिन्/मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘सिंह-मुखं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृध्र-आस्या: vulture-faced
• गृध्र-आस्या: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘गृध्र-आस्यं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काक-तुंडिका: crow-beaked
• काक-तुंडिका: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘काक-तुण्डं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उष्ट्र-ग्रीवा: camel-necked
• उष्ट्र-ग्रीवा: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘उष्ट्र-ग्रीवा यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हय-ग्रीवा: horse-necked
• हय-ग्रीवा: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘हय-ग्रीवा यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाराही: Vārāhī (boar-formed goddess)
• वाराही: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); जातिवाचक/देवी-नाम

• शरभ-आनना: śarabha-faced
• शरभ-आनना: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (‘शरभ-आननं यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A litany of Yoginī names is recited—each evoking a distinct animal-faced or fierce-featured śakti form: elephant-faced, lion-faced, vulture-faced, crow-beaked, camel-necked, horse-necked, boar-faced, and śarabha-faced.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs
• Varāhī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Yoginīs are invoked through their potent names and forms, suggesting protective and purificatory power within Kāśī’s dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī indirectly, as the chapter’s setting where Yoginī worship and nāma-listing is taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, nāma-recitation/hearing is the practice; the verse itself provides the names for that purpose.