Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

शंखिनी गजवक्त्रा च महिषघ्नी रणप्रिया । शुभानंदा कोटराक्षी विद्युज्जिह्वा शिवारवा

Transliteration

śaṃkhinī gajavaktrā ca mahiṣaghnī raṇapriyā | śubhānaṃdā koṭarākṣī vidyujjihvā śivāravā

Translation

“ศังคินี, คชวักตรา, มหิษฆนี, รณปริยา; ศุภานันดา, โกฏรากษี, วิทยุชิหวา และศิวารวา”

Word by Word

• शङ्खिनी: Śaṅkhinī
• शङ्खिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गजवक्त्रा: Gajavaktrā (elephant-faced)
• गजवक्त्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (गजस्य इव वक्त्रं यस्याः/गज-वक्त्रा)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• महिषघ्नी: Mahiṣaghnī (slayer of the buffalo-demon)
• महिषघ्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्निन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (महिषं हन्ति)

• रणप्रिया: Raṇapriyā (fond of battle)
• रणप्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रणस्य प्रिया)

• शुभानन्दा: Śubhānandā (auspicious joy)
• शुभानन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुभा आनन्दा)

• कोटराक्षी: Koṭarākṣī (hollow-eyed)
• कोटराक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटर (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कोटरवत् अक्षीणी यस्याः)

• विद्युत्जिह्वा: Vidyujjihvā (lightning-tongued)
• विद्युत्जिह्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विद्युदिव जिह्वा यस्याः)

• शिवारवा: Śivāravā (having Śiva’s roar/cry)
• शिवारवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आरवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य आरवा/रवः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Eight fierce-leaning Śakti forms: Śaṃkhinī with conch; Gajavaktrā with elephant-face aspect; Mahiṣaghnī striking the buffalo-demon; Raṇapriyā in battle stance; Śubhānandā smiling yet radiant; Koṭarākṣī with cavernous/penetrating eyes; Vidyujjihvā with lightning-tongue; Śivāravā roaring with Śiva-like resonance, surrounded by sound-waves.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṃkhinī
• Gajavaktrā
• Mahiṣaghnī
• Raṇapriyā
• Śubhānandā
• Koṭarākṣī
• Vidyujjihvā
• Śivāravā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is remembered as both auspicious joy and fierce protection—destroying demonic forces and safeguarding devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of this khaṇḍa, though this particular verse is a name-listing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the devotional use is nāma-japa and praise.