Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

हस्तांगुलीः कमलजा विरजानखांश्च कक्षांतरं तरणिमंडलगा तमोघ्नी । वक्षःस्थलं स्थलचरी हृदयं धरित्री कुशिद्वयं त्ववतु नः क्षणदाचरघ्नी

Transliteration

hastāṃgulīḥ kamalajā virajānakhāṃśca kakṣāṃtaraṃ taraṇimaṃḍalagā tamoghnī | vakṣaḥsthalaṃ sthalacarī hṛdayaṃ dharitrī kuśidvayaṃ tvavatu naḥ kṣaṇadācaraghnī

Translation

കമലജ ദേവി—നിർമല നഖങ്ങളുള്ളവൾ, സൂര്യമണ്ഡലത്തിൽ വസിച്ച് അന്ധകാരം അകറ്റുന്നവൾ, പുണ്യഭൂമിയിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നവൾ—ഞങ്ങളെ കാക്കട്ടെ: നമ്മുടെ കൈവിരലുകൾ, കക്ഷാന്തരം; വക്ഷസ്ഥലം, ഹൃദയം, കൂടാതെ നമ്മുടെ യുഗ്മ ഗുഹ്യ/പ്രാണസ്ഥാനങ്ങൾ; അവൾ രാത്രിചര ദുഷ്ടശക്തികളെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൾ.

Word by Word

• hasta-aṃgulīḥ: the fingers
• hasta-aṃgulīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta + aṃgulī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• kamalajā: Kamalajā (born of lotus)
• kamalajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala + jā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• viraja-nakhān: stainless nails
• viraja-nakhān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viraja + nakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural); (विरजाः नखाः)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kakṣā-antaraṃ: the armpit region
• kakṣā-antaraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kakṣā + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• taraṇi-maṇḍala-gā: moving in the solar orb
• taraṇi-maṇḍala-gā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: taraṇi + maṇḍala + gam (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); कृदन्त: ग (गम्-धातोः क्तिन्/ण्वुलादि-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिकवत्: 'going/being in'); (तरणिमण्डले गच्छति/गता)

• tamoghnī: destroyer of darkness
• tamoghnī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas + ghnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); (तमः हन्ति)

• vakṣaḥ-sthalam: the chest-region
• vakṣaḥ-sthalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vakṣas + sthala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• sthala-carī: the earth-walker (name)
• sthala-carī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthala + car (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); कृदन्त: चरी (चर्-धातोः णिनि/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त, 'one who moves')

• hṛdayam: the heart
• hṛdayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• dharitrī: Dharitrī (Earth)
• dharitrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• kuśi-dvayam: the two groins/hips (kuśi)
• kuśi-dvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśi + dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); (द्विगु: द्वे कुशी)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• avatu: may (she) protect
• avatu: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: av (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• naḥ: for us
• naḥ: Sampradāna/Beneficiary (for us/नः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• kṣaṇadā-cara-ghnī: slayer of night-wanderers (demons)
• kṣaṇadā-cara-ghnī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇadā + cara + ghnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); (क्षणदायां चराः = राक्षसाः; तान् हन्ति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as a radiant solar presence: lotus-born with stainless nails, seated within a sun-disc, casting rays that dissolve darkness; simultaneously depicted as moving upon sacred ground, guarding the pilgrim’s hands/fingers, armpits, chest, heart, and vital organs; shadowy night-roamers retreat at the edge of the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Kāśī-kṣetrapālinī/Śakti, implied)
• Sūrya (taraṇi-maṇḍala, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeking refuge in the Kṣetra-Śakti of Kāśī brings protection of body and mind, and the removal of inner and outer darkness (tamas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a living kṣetra guarded by Devī—the ground itself is sacred and spiritually protective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a protective stuti/prārthanā (invocatory prayer) to be recited for safeguarding and warding off harmful forces.