Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

दूरदेशांतरचरी दुर्गमा देववल्लभा । दुर्वृत्तघ्नी दुर्विगाह्या दयाधारा दयावती

Transliteration

dūradeśāṃtaracarī durgamā devavallabhā | durvṛttaghnī durvigāhyā dayādhārā dayāvatī

Translation

وہ دور دراز ملکوں اور خطّوں میں گردش کرنے والی؛ رسائی میں دشوار، مگر دیوتاؤں کی نہایت محبوب۔ بدکرداری کو مٹانے والی، ناقابلِ غوطہ—وہ رحمت کی دھارا ہے، سراپا کرم و شفقت۔

Word by Word

• दूर: far
• दूर: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/अव्ययवत्, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• देश: region; country
• देश: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• अंतर: interval; other; between
• अंतर: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासपूर्वपद (as first member)

• चरी: wanderer; moving about
• चरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर् (धातु) + णी (कृत्) → चरी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णी-कृदन्त (one who moves/roams) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्गमा: difficult to reach
• दुर्गमा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + गम (धातु) + अ (कृत्) → दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त (hard to approach) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• देववल्लभा: beloved of the gods
• देववल्लभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां वल्लभा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्वृत्त: bad conduct; wickedness
• दुर्वृत्त: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural) (as first member: of bad conduct)

• घ्नी: destroyer (of)
• घ्नी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + णी (कृत्) → घ्नी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; णी-कृदन्त (destroying) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दुर्विगाह्या: hard to penetrate/enter
• दुर्विगाह्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/निपात) + वि + गाह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → विगाह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (hard to enter/penetrate) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दयाधारा: stream of compassion
• दयाधारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दया एव धारा) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

• दयावती: compassionate
• दयावती: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित) → दयावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वत्-तद्धित (possessing compassion) (Feminine, Nom, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Gaṅgā (as Devavallabhā, Dayāvatī)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of pilgrims from varied regions approaches Kāśī; Gaṅgā appears as an unfathomable, deep current with a visible ‘stream of compassion’ flowing toward repentant wrongdoers; devas offer flowers overhead.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Devī
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion does not excuse wrongdoing; it transforms conduct—Devī destroys evil habits while remaining an ocean-like mercy for seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of the Goddess in Kāśī, the pilgrimage-city where compassion and purification are central themes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the moral prescription is correction of durvṛtta (unrighteous conduct) through devotion and grace.