Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

आलस्यघ्न्यापदां हंत्री ह्यानंदामृतवर्षिणी । इरावतीष्टदात्रीष्टा त्विष्टापूर्तफलप्रदा

Transliteration

ālasyaghnyāpadāṃ haṃtrī hyānaṃdāmṛtavarṣiṇī | irāvatīṣṭadātrīṣṭā tviṣṭāpūrtaphalapradā

Translation

พระนางทรงกำจัดความเกียจคร้านและปราบภัยพิบัติ; แท้จริงทรงโปรยฝนอมฤตแห่งอานันทะ. อิราวตี ผู้ประทานพรตามปรารถนา ผู้เป็นที่รักและรุ่งเรือง—ทรงประทานผลแห่งอิษฏะและปูรตะ (ยัญบูชาและกุศลสาธารณะ)

Word by Word

• आलस्यघ्नी: destroyer of laziness
• आलस्यघ्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आलस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक; from √हन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (आलस्यं हन्ति इति)

• आपदाम्: of misfortunes
• आपदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘of calamities’

• हन्त्री: destroyer
• हन्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; from √हन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis/indeed

• आनन्दामृतवर्षिणी: showering nectar of bliss
• आनन्दामृतवर्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक; from √वृष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनन्दामृतस्य वर्षिणी)

• इरावती: Irāvatī (name/epithet)
• इरावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम/विशेषणरूपेण

• इष्टदात्री: giver of desired boons
• इष्टदात्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष्/√यज् sense ‘desired’) + दात्री (प्रातिपदिक; from √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (इष्टं ददाति इति)

• इष्टा: desired, beloved
• इष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष्/√यज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘desired/beloved’

• त्व: you
• त्व: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्व (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; vocative-emphasis/‘you indeed’

• इष्टापूर्तफलप्रदा: giver of the fruits of iṣṭa and pūrta (sacrifices and charitable works)
• इष्टापूर्तफलप्रदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + आपूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इष्टापूर्तयोः फलस्य प्रदा)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as Irāvatī stands radiant, pouring a rain of amṛta-like light; below, devotees build wells, feed pilgrims, and perform fire offerings—iṣṭa and pūrta shown side-by-side; sloth depicted as a dark figure fleeing.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Irāvatī
• Iṣṭa
• Pūrta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gaṅgā’s grace energizes dharma: she dispels inertia, removes adversity, and matures the merit of both worship and charitable public works.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā in Kāśī, praised also by the epithet Irāvatī, linking the river’s presence with the fruition of dharmic deeds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references iṣṭa and pūrta—ritual worship/sacrifice and public meritorious acts—implying that such dharma performed in relation to Gaṅgā yields fruit.