Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शिवदूती तु तत्रैव द्रष्टव्याऽपद्विनाशिनी । आनंदवनरक्षार्थमुद्यच्छूलारितर्जनी

Transliteration

śivadūtī tu tatraiva draṣṭavyā'padvināśinī | ānaṃdavanarakṣārthamudyacchūlāritarjanī

Translation

وہیں شِودوتی کے درشن کرنے چاہییں—جو آفتوں کو مٹانے والی ہے—آنندون کی حفاظت کے لیے ترشول اٹھائے اور انگشتِ تنبیہ سے دھمکاتی ہوئی۔

Word by Word

• शिवदूती: Śiva’s messenger (goddess Śivadūtī)
• शिवदूती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse/Connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Discourse/Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• द्रष्टव्या: to be seen/should be visited
• द्रष्टव्या: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be seen'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपद्विनाशिनी: destroyer of misfortune
• अपद्विनाशिनी: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपद् + विनाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who destroys misfortune)

• आनन्दवनरक्षार्थम्: for the protection of Ānandavana
• आनन्दवनरक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्दवन + रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (accusative of purpose)

• उद्यच्छूलारि: (she who is) with a raised spear, foe (of enemies)
• उद्यच्छूलारि: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत + शूल + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—(यस्या उद्यतं शूलं तस्याः अरिः/शत्रुः) भावार्थे: 'with raised spear, enemy (to foes)'

• तर्जनी: the threatening one
• तर्जनी: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्जनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (as epithet: 'threatening one')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śivadūtī (Ānandavana)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śivadūtī stands within Ānandavana’s sacred precinct, trident raised, forefinger in a threatening protective gesture; unseen dangers recoil as she guards Kāśī’s bliss-forest.

Characters & Entities

• Śivadūtī
• Ānandavana (Kāśī)
• Śūla (trident)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is envisioned as divinely guarded; darśana of the protecting Goddess dispels fear and distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ānandavana—an epithet for Kāśī—protected by Śivadūtī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverential viewing/visitation) of Śivadūtī at her locale in Kāśī as an act linked with removal of adversity.