Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अंशुमालाह्यंशुमती त्वंगीकृतषडानना । अंधतामिस्रहंत्र्यंधुरं जनाह्यंजनावती

Transliteration

aṃśumālāhyaṃśumatī tvaṃgīkṛtaṣaḍānanā | aṃdhatāmisrahaṃtryaṃdhuraṃ janāhyaṃjanāvatī

Translation

О сияющая Деви, увенчанная гирляндой лучей, ты — сама блистательность; ты приняла как своего Шестиликого Владыку, Шаданану (Сканду). Ты сокрушаешь слепую тьму, и для людей ты — божественная анджана, дарующая истинное зрение и различение.

Word by Word

• aṃśu-mālā-āhya-aṃśumatī: known as Aṃśumālā, radiant (Aṃśumatī)
• aṃśu-mālā-āhya-aṃśumatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + āhya (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśumat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः, ‘अंशुमाला-आह्या’ (अंशुमाला इति नाम्ना ख्याता) तथा ‘अंशुमती’ (किरणवती)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• aṅgī-kṛta-ṣaḍ-ānanā: she who has accepted/adopted the six-faced one (Ṣaḍānana)
• aṅgī-kṛta-ṣaḍ-ānanā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṅgī (अङ्गी/प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त) + ṣaṭ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—कृत (भूतकृदन्त/PPP); समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘षडाननं (षड्वदनं) अङ्गीकृतं यस्याः सा’

• aṃdha-tāmisra-haṃtrī: destroyer of blind darkness
• aṃdha-tāmisra-haṃtrī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃdha (प्रातिपदिक) + tāmisra (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु) → haṃtrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः, ‘अन्धतामिस्रं हन्ति’

• aṃdhuram: Aṃdhura (a name/epithet)
• aṃdhuram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃdhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (पाठानुसारं)

• janāhyaṃjanāvatī: renowned among people; possessing collyrium/black ointment
• janāhyaṃjanāvatī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janāhya (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃjanāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास/संयोगः—कर्मधारयवत्, ‘जनाह्या’ (जनैः आह्या/जनप्रसिद्धा) + ‘अञ्जनावती’ (अञ्जनयुक्ता/अञ्जनसमृद्धा)

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 stands radiant, garlanded with sun-like rays; beside her is Ṣaḍānana (six-faced Skanda) shown as embraced/adopted by her; darkness retreats as she applies divine añjana to the eyes of devotees, granting luminous discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Ṣaḍānana (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace removes ignorance (tāmisra) and grants inner vision; the Mother is praised as the source of discernment and illumination.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography; the hymn’s purpose is to magnify devotion within the Kāśī Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; it is suited for japa/stotra recitation for clarity of mind and spiritual insight.