Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

विकटायाः पुरः स्थाप्य गृहं धात्रेयिका गता । अथ सा विकटा देवी समाहूय च योगिनीः

Transliteration

vikaṭāyāḥ puraḥ sthāpya gṛhaṃ dhātreyikā gatā | atha sā vikaṭā devī samāhūya ca yoginīḥ

Translation

ਵਿਕਟਾ ਦੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਸ਼ਿਸ਼ੁ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਧਾਇ ਮਾਤਾ ਘਰ ਨੂੰ ਚਲੀ ਗਈ। ਤਦ ਦੇਵੀ ਵਿਕਟਾ ਨੇ ਯੋਗਿਨੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਬੁਲਾ ਲਿਆ।

Word by Word

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

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (adverb of place)

• स्थाप्य: having placed
• स्थाप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापय्; ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक

• गृहं: the house
• गृहं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• धात्रेयिका: Dhātreyikā
• धात्रेयिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्रेयिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• गता: went
• गता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; गमनक्रिया

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• विकटा: Vikaṭā
• विकटा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सा इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विकटा इति विशेष्या

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + हु (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• योगिनीः: the yoginīs
• योगिनीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator voice (deductively: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vikaṭā (Devī-sthāna in Kāśī narrative)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the threshold of Vikaṭā’s presence, the nurse places the infant and departs; Vikaṭā Devī, formidable yet protective, raises her hand to summon Yoginīs who appear from liminal shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Vikaṭā Devī
• Yoginīs
• Dhātreyikā (nurse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection is depicted as active and organized: the Goddess commands attendant powers (Yoginīs) to safeguard devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vikaṭā’s pīṭha at Pañcamudrā (from the immediate context) within Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit: approaching the deity’s presence for refuge; no formal mantra/dāna/snānā is specified.