Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

कपालमालाभरणां महाभीषणरूपिणीम् । चर्ममुंडां नरो नत्वा क्षेत्रविघ्नैर्न बाध्यते

Transliteration

kapālamālābharaṇāṃ mahābhīṣaṇarūpiṇīm | carmamuṃḍāṃ naro natvā kṣetravighnairna bādhyate

Translation

கபாலமாலையால் அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட, மிகப் பயங்கர ரூபமுடைய சர்மமுண்டாவை மனிதன் வணங்கினால், புனிதக் க்ஷேத்திரத்தின் தடைகளால் அவன் பாதிக்கப்படான்।

Word by Word

• kapāla-mālā-bharaṇām: wearing a garland of skulls
• kapāla-mālā-bharaṇām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapāla (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + bharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (kapālamālāyāḥ bharaṇam yasyāḥ)

• mahā-bhīṣaṇa-rūpiṇīm: of a very terrifying form
• mahā-bhīṣaṇa-rūpiṇīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महाभीषणं रूपं यस्याः)

• carma-muṇḍām: Carmamuṇḍā (the goddess)
• carma-muṇḍām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carma (प्रातिपदिक) + muṇḍā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (carmāṇi muṇḍāni/मुंडानि यस्याः)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• natvā: having bowed (to)
• natvā: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having bowed’

• kṣetra-vighnaiḥ: by obstacles related to the sacred field
• kṣetra-vighnaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (kṣetrasya vighnāḥ)

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• bādhyate: is afflicted/obstructed
• bādhyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bādh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Carmamuṇḍā (kṣetra-rakṣikā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Carmamuṇḍā, fearsome Devī with skull-garland, wearing skin/charma, holding weapons; a devotee bows, and the path within the kṣetra clears of obstacles (symbolic removal of vighnas).

Characters & Entities

• Carmamuṇḍā
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Vighna (obstacles)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble devotion to the kṣetra-guardian brings protection and smoothens one’s pilgrimage by removing impediments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī-kṣetra in general, through veneration of its guardian Devī Carmamuṇḍā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to Carmamuṇḍā for freedom from kṣetra-obstacles.