Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

द्युनदी दीनशरणं देहिदेहनिवारिणी । द्राघीयसी दाघहंत्री दितपातकसंततिः

Transliteration

dyunadī dīnaśaraṇaṃ dehidehanivāriṇī | drāghīyasī dāghahaṃtrī ditapātakasaṃtatiḥ

Translation

Она — небесная река; прибежище беспомощных; та, что удерживает круг воплощений, «дающий тело»; велика и простирается вдаль,—она уничтожает жгучую скорбь и пресекает череду грехов.

Word by Word

• द्युनदी: heavenly river
• द्युनदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्यौः/द्युनः नदी) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दीन: of the poor; distressed
• दीन: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member in compound)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• देहि: give!
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person, Singular)

• देह: body
• देह: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular) (as object implied with देहि)

• निवारिणी: remover; preventer
• निवारिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + वृ (धातु) + णिनी (कृत्) → निवारिणी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णिनी-कृदन्त (preventing/removing) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• द्राघीयसी: longer; more extensive
• द्राघीयसी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्राघीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; दीर्घस्य तर/तमभावः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दाघ: burning; affliction
• दाघ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular) (as first member in compound)

• हन्त्री: destroyer
• हन्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तृ (कृत्) → हन्त्री (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-कृदन्त (slayer/remover) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दित: (unclear/variant)
• दित: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दित (प्रातिपदिक; uncertain reading)
• Form: अव्यक्त/पाठभेद-सूचक; समासपूर्वपद (uncertain lexeme; as first member)

• पातक: sins
• पातक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member in compound)

• संततिः: continuity; lineage; series
• संततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā (Dyunadī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering, humble devotee at the ghāṭa finds refuge; Gaṅgā appears as celestial river descending from heavens, cooling flames of affliction; a chain of dark ‘sins’ breaks apart in the water’s radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Celestial river motif (dyunadī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is refuge and purifier: she heals inner burning and breaks the continuity of sin, pointing toward freedom from repeated embodiment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting, the ‘river’ imagery resonates with Kāśī’s sacred waters and the city’s promise of purification and release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse evokes purification motifs commonly expressed through bathing, remembrance, and praise in the Kāśī tradition.