Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

योगिन्यो विकटावाक्यात्खेचर्यस्ताः क्षणेन तम् । निन्युर्गगनमार्गेण ब्राह्म्याद्या यत्र मातरः

Transliteration

yoginyo vikaṭāvākyātkhecaryastāḥ kṣaṇena tam | ninyurgaganamārgeṇa brāhmyādyā yatra mātaraḥ

Translation

വികടയുടെ വാക്കനുസരിച്ച് ആകാശഗാമിനികളായ യോഗിനികൾ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ അവനെ ഗഗനമാർഗ്ഗത്തിലൂടെ ബ്രാഹ്മീ മുതലായ മാതാക്കൾ വസിക്കുന്നിടത്തേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുപോയി.

Word by Word

• योगिन्यः: the yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• विकटा: of Vikaṭā
• विकटा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (विकटायाः)

• वाक्यात्: from the command/words
• वाक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• खेचर्यः: sky-going (female beings)
• खेचर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; योगिन्यः इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ताः: they
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• क्षणेन: in a moment
• क्षणेन: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कालवाचक (instrumental of time)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• निन्युः: carried/led
• निन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• गगन: sky
• गगन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• मार्गेण: by the path/route
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; गमनमार्ग (means/route)

• ब्राह्मी: Brāhmī
• ब्राह्मी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपद (ब्राह्म्याद्याः)

• आद्याः: and others, beginning with
• आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मातरः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• मातरः: the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator voice (deductively: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mātṛkā-sthāna (Brāhmī-ādi Mātaraḥ) in Kāśī’s subtle mandala

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yoginīs as khecarīs lift the infant and streak across the night sky along a luminous aerial path toward a radiant assembly of Mātṛkās—Brāhmī foremost—seated in a celestial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Vikaṭā Devī
• Yoginīs (Khecarīs)
• Brāhmī
• Mātṛkās (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one takes refuge in Śakti, protective forces respond swiftly—depicting Kāśī as a realm of immediate divine intervention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues from Vikaṭā’s pīṭha (Pañcamudrā Mahāpīṭha); this verse emphasizes the Mātṛkā realm led by Brāhmī rather than a separate named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it describes the Yoginīs’ protective transport under the Goddess’s command.