Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अक्षरा त्र्यक्षरा तंतुः प्रणवेशी स्वरात्मिका । त्रिवर्गा गर्वरहिता अजपा जपहारिणी

Transliteration

akṣarā tryakṣarā taṃtuḥ praṇaveśī svarātmikā | trivargā garvarahitā ajapā japahāriṇī

Translation

അക്ഷരാ, ത്ര്യക്ഷരാ, തന്തു, പ്രണവേശീ, സ്വരാത്മികാ; ത്രിവർഗാ, ഗർവരഹിതാ, അജപാ എന്നും ജപഹാരിണീ।

Word by Word

• अक्षरा: imperishable; Akṣarā
• अक्षरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अक्षरा’ = imperishable / syllabic (as epithet)

• त्र्यक्षरा: three-syllabled
• त्र्यक्षरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तंतुः: thread; continuum
• तंतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणवेशी: mistress of the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘प्रणवस्य ईशी’ (mistress of Oṃ)

• स्वरात्मिका: whose essence is sound
• स्वरात्मिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘स्वरः आत्मा यस्याः/या’

• त्रिवर्गा: threefold (trivarga)
• त्रिवर्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (threefold group)

• गर्वरहिता: free from pride
• गर्वरहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘गर्वेण रहिता’

• अजपा: non-recited; Ajapā (spontaneous japa)
• अजपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + जपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘न जपा’ / ‘अजपा-जप’ (spontaneous recitation)

• जपहारिणी: remover of japa (or one who takes away muttering)
• जपहारिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘जपं हरति’ (removes/steals japa)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as luminous syllables: Oṃ radiates at her heart; a garland of akṣaras circles her; she sits in meditation above the Gaṅgā, while devotees’ breath appears as subtle white streams forming ajapā-japa.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣarā
• Tryakṣarā
• Praṇaveśī
• Svarātmikā
• Ajapā
• Japahāriṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is identified with imperishable sound, Oṃ, and inner japa—teaching that mantra and consciousness are forms of Śakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred milieu is assumed; this verse emphasizes mantra-doctrine rather than local geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not as a command, but the names “Ajapā” and “Japahāriṇī” strongly point to japa (especially inward, continuous remembrance) as a purifying discipline.