Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

चर्ममुंडा महारुंडा कथिते ये तु देवते । तयोरंतरतस्तिष्ठेच्चामुंडा मुंडरूपिणी

Transliteration

carmamuṃḍā mahāruṃḍā kathite ye tu devate | tayoraṃtaratastiṣṭheccāmuṃḍā muṃḍarūpiṇī

Translation

ചർമമുണ്ടാ, മഹാരുണ്ടാ എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്ന ആ രണ്ടു ദേവിമാരുടെ മദ്ധ്യേ, മുണ്ടരൂപം ധരിച്ച ചാമുണ്ടാദേവി സ്വയം നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• चर्ममुंडा: Carmamuṇḍā (the goddess named ‘Carmamuṇḍā’)
• चर्ममुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म + मुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (चर्म-युक्ता मुंडा)

• महारुंडा: Mahāruṇḍā (the goddess named ‘Mahāruṇḍā’)
• महारुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + रुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती रुंडा)

• कथिते: (the two) mentioned/said
• कथिते: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘कथिते’ = ‘(those) two are said/mentioned’

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• देवते: (two) deities
• देवते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘two deities’

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘of those two’

• अन्तरतः: in between
• अन्तरतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ; ‘in between/within’

• तिष्ठेत्: should stand/remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चामुंडा: Cāmuṇḍā
• चामुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुंडरूपिणी: having the form of a Muṇḍa (shaven-headed one)
• मुंडरूपिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुंड + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुंडस्य रूपं यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triad of fierce goddesses in Kāśī: Carmamuṇḍā and Mahāruṇḍā flanking, with Cāmuṇḍā between them, depicted as a severed head (muṇḍa-rūpiṇī), radiating protective terror; subtle suggestion of cremation-ground ambience and temple niches.

Characters & Entities

• Carmamuṇḍā
• Mahāruṇḍā
• Cāmuṇḍā
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as protected by fierce, liminal Goddess-forms; their presence signifies removal of fear and obstacles for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s shrine-glorification, pointing to a local Devi-protective setting in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it identifies the deity-forms and their sacred placement.