Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अंबराध्ववहांऽवष्ठां वरमालांबुजेक्षणा । अंबिकांबुमहायोनिरंधोदांधकहारिणी

Transliteration

aṃbarādhvavahāṃ'vaṣṭhāṃ varamālāṃbujekṣaṇā | aṃbikāṃbumahāyoniraṃdhodāṃdhakahāriṇī

Translation

हे देवी! तू आकाशमार्गाने संचार करणारी, दृढ प्रतिष्ठित; कमलनेत्रा व श्रेष्ठ माळेने विभूषित आहेस। हे अंबिके! तू जलासारखी महायोनी, अंधकार दूर करणारी आणि अंधकाचा संहार करणारी आहेस।

Word by Word

• aṃbara-adhva-vahām: her who bears the path/way of the sky (i.e., moving in the heavens)
• aṃbara-adhva-vahām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃbara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhvan (प्रातिपदिक) + vah (धातु) → vahā (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘अम्बरस्य अध्वानं वहति’ इति (वहाम् = वहा + अम्)

• avaṣṭhām: Avaṣṭhā (a name/epithet)
• avaṣṭhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avaṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vara-mālām: excellent garland
• vara-mālām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः, ‘वरा (श्रेष्ठा) या माला’

• ambu-ja-īkṣaṇā: lotus-eyed
• ambu-ja-īkṣaṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ambu (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘अम्बुजे (पद्मे) इव ईक्षणे यस्याः सा’

• aṃbikām: Ambikā (Mother Goddess)
• aṃbikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃbikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ambu-mahā-yoniḥ: she who is the great source (yoni) of waters
• ambu-mahā-yoniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambu (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः, ‘अम्बु-महा-योनिः’ (जलमहायोनिः/महायोनिरूपा)

• aṃdhodā: remover of blindness/darkness
• aṃdhodā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃdha (प्रातिपदिक) + udā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः, ‘अन्धं (अज्ञानं) उदाति/उद्घाटयति’ इत्यर्थे (नामरूपेण)

• aṃdhaka-hāriṇī: slayer/remover of Andhaka
• aṃdhaka-hāriṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃdhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + hārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘अन्धकं हरति’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (standard audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī moves along a sky-path, steady and enthroned, lotus-eyed, wearing a supreme garland; from her emerges a vast, water-like womb of creation; she dispels thick darkness and is shown defeating Andhaka, the embodiment of blindness.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Ambikā)
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is the cosmic source and the destroyer of darkness—both literal and spiritual—protecting devotees by removing ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the scriptural frame; the hymn participates in the Kāśī Māhātmya atmosphere where Divine Mother’s power sanctifies the city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse supports stotra-pāṭha (hymn recitation) as a devotional act.