Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

हंसयानवती ब्राह्मी ब्रह्मेशात्पश्चिमे स्थिता । गलत्कमंडलुजल चुलका ताडिता हिता

Transliteration

haṃsayānavatī brāhmī brahmeśātpaścime sthitā | galatkamaṃḍalujala culakā tāḍitā hitā

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മേശന്റെ പടിഞ്ഞാറ് ഹംസവാഹിനിയായ ദേവി ബ്രാഹ്മീ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അവളുടെ കമണ്ഡലുവിൽ നിന്ന് ജലം തുളുമ്പി വീഴുന്നു; ജീവഹിതാർത്ഥം കൈപ്പിടി കൈപ്പിടിയായി തളിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हंसयानवती: having a swan as her vehicle
• हंसयानवती: Visheshana (Qualifier of ब्राह्मी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस-यान-वती (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुषसमासः (हंसः + यानम्) + वती

• ब्राह्मी: Brāhmī
• ब्राह्मी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; देवी-विशेष-नाम

• ब्रह्मेशात्: from Brahmeśa
• ब्रह्मेशात्: Apadana (from/relative to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, पञ्चमी (Ablative)

• पश्चिमे: in the west / to the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी (Locative)

• स्थिता: situated
• स्थिता: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि (past participle: ‘situated/standing’)

• गलत्: dripping
• गलत्: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गल् (धातु) → गलत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle: ‘dripping/falling’)

• कमण्डलु-जल: water from a water-pot
• कमण्डलु-जल: Karma/Instrument (as object/means in description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमण्डलु-जल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कमण्डलोः जलम्)

• चुलका: a handful (sip)
• चुलका: Apposition/descriptor
• Type: Noun
• Root: चुलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; ‘handful/sip’ (measure)

• ताडिता: struck/impelled
• ताडिता: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताड् (धातु) → ताडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle: ‘struck/impelled’)

• हिता: beneficial/auspicious
• हिता: Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हि (धातु) → हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; अर्थे ‘कल्याणी/हितकारिणी’ (beneficial)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmeśa-sannidhi Brāhmī-darśana (west of Brahmeśa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A westward shrine of Brahmeśa: Brāhmī Devī on a swan, holding a kamaṇḍalu with water dripping as if sprinkling; devotees receive the blessing as a subtle shower of sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmeśa
• Brāhmī
• Haṃsa (swan)
• Kamaṇḍalu
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Devīs are portrayed as actively beneficent—purifying and supporting devotees through their localized presence and symbolism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western vicinity of Brahmeśa in Kāśī, where Brāhmī (haṃsa-vāhinī) is situated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse primarily gives sacred-location identification and iconographic markers; it implies approaching/visiting for auspicious benefit.