Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कर्त्रीं कर्परहस्ताग्रां स्फुरत्पिंगोग्रतारकाम् । गर्जयंतीं महावेगां भैरवस्यापिभीषणाम्

Transliteration

kartrīṃ karparahastāgrāṃ sphuratpiṃgogratārakām | garjayaṃtīṃ mahāvegāṃ bhairavasyāpibhīṣaṇām

Translation

นางถือมีดสับ และที่ปลายมือมีหัวกะโหลก; ดวงตาสีน้ำตาลทองลุกวาบดุร้ายยิ่งนัก. นางคำรามด้วยแรงมหาศาล น่ากลัวแม้กระทั่งพระไภรวะ

Word by Word

• कर्त्रीम्: the doer/agent (female), executrix
• कर्त्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्पर-हस्त-अग्राम्: (her) with the tip/front of the hand holding a skull-bowl
• कर्पर-हस्त-अग्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्पर (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्परहस्तस्य अग्रे स्थिताम्/कर्परहस्ताग्रां)

• स्फुरत्-पिङ्ग-उग्र-तारकाम्: (her) with fierce tawny stars flashing
• स्फुरत्-पिङ्ग-उग्र-तारकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुरत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + उग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (स्फुरन्त्यः पिङ्गाः उग्राः तारकाः यस्याः/यत्र)

• गर्जयन्तीम्: roaring
• गर्जयन्तीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महा-वेगाम्: of great speed/force
• महा-वेगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• भैरवस्य: of Bhairava
• भैरवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (emphatic/also)

• भीषणाम्: terrifying
• भीषणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पूर्वोक्त-स्त्रीपदम्)

Speaker

Skanda (to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame assumed; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fierce female/śakti figure holds a cleaver; a skull is prominent at her hand; tawny blazing eyes; she roars with great force, so dreadful that even Bhairava is said to be terrified.

Characters & Entities

• Bhairava
• Kāśī
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa dramatizes sin’s terror to highlight the superior refuge of Śiva’s domain and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative setting toward which the episode is moving, framing its unique protective power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse continues the iconographic description.