Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

घातुका घृर्णितजला घृष्टपातकसंततिः । घटकोटिप्रपीतापा घटिताशेषमंगला

Transliteration

ghātukā ghṛrṇitajalā ghṛṣṭapātakasaṃtatiḥ | ghaṭakoṭiprapītāpā ghaṭitāśeṣamaṃgalā

Translation

ती दुष्टतेचा घात करणारी; जिनचे जल पवित्र स्पंदनाने घूर्णित आहे। ती पापांची अखंड परंपरा चुरडणारी; कोट्यवधी दुःखघट पिऊन टाकणारी, आणि सर्व मंगल सिद्ध करणारी आहे।

Word by Word

• घातुका: destroying; slaying
• घातुका: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घातुक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘घात’ से व्युत्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• घृर्णितजला: whose water is sprinkled/covered (with compassion/brightness)
• घृर्णितजला: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृर्णित (कृदन्त; √घृण्/घृ (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘sprinkled/covered’) + जला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषण

• घृष्टपातकसंततिः: a series in which sins are wiped out
• घृष्टपातकसंततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृष्ट (कृदन्त; √घृष् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘rubbed off/destroyed’) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘संततिः’ = प्रवाह/श्रृंखला

• घटकोटिप्रपीतापा: whose water has been drunk in crores of pots
• घटकोटिप्रपीतापा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रपीत (कृदन्त; √पा (धातु) + प्र-उपसर्ग + क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘drunk’) + आपा/आप (प्रातिपदिक; ‘water’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-समास, विशेषण

• घटिताशेषमङ्गला: bringing about all auspiciousness
• घटिताशेषमङ्गला: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घटित (कृदन्त; √घट् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘arranged/produced’) + अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as cosmic protector: she absorbs a vast sea of human suffering into herself, leaving devotees surrounded by completed auspicious symbols (kalasha, svastika, lotus); turbulent waters become sanctified, stirred (ghṛṇita-jala) and luminous.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Devī is celebrated as the decisive power that ends recurring sin and absorbs suffering, establishing complete auspiciousness in the devotee’s life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

As part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the verse contributes to the spiritual profile of Kāśī as a place of purification and mangala through devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse supports stotra-recitation and devotional seeking of the Devī for pāpa-kṣaya and maṅgala-siddhi.