Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

चर्ममुंडा महारुंडा कथिते ये तु देवते । तयोरंतरतस्तिष्ठेच्चामुंडा मुंडरूपिणी

Transliteration

carmamuṃḍā mahāruṃḍā kathite ye tu devate | tayoraṃtaratastiṣṭheccāmuṃḍā muṃḍarūpiṇī

Translation

چرم مُنڈا اور مہارُنڈا نامی دو دیویاں بیان کی گئی ہیں۔ ان دونوں کے درمیان خود چامُنڈا کھڑی ہے، کٹے ہوئے سر کی صورت اختیار کیے ہوئے۔

Word by Word

• चर्ममुंडा: Carmamuṇḍā (the goddess named ‘Carmamuṇḍā’)
• चर्ममुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्म + मुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (चर्म-युक्ता मुंडा)

• महारुंडा: Mahāruṇḍā (the goddess named ‘Mahāruṇḍā’)
• महारुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + रुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महती रुंडा)

• कथिते: (the two) mentioned/said
• कथिते: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘कथिते’ = ‘(those) two are said/mentioned’

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• देवते: (two) deities
• देवते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘two deities’

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘of those two’

• अन्तरतः: in between
• अन्तरतः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तसिल्-प्रत्ययार्थ; ‘in between/within’

• तिष्ठेत्: should stand/remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चामुंडा: Cāmuṇḍā
• चामुंडा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामुंडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुंडरूपिणी: having the form of a Muṇḍa (shaven-headed one)
• मुंडरूपिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुंड + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुंडस्य रूपं यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triad of fierce goddesses in Kāśī: Carmamuṇḍā and Mahāruṇḍā flanking, with Cāmuṇḍā between them, depicted as a severed head (muṇḍa-rūpiṇī), radiating protective terror; subtle suggestion of cremation-ground ambience and temple niches.

Characters & Entities

• Carmamuṇḍā
• Mahāruṇḍā
• Cāmuṇḍā
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as protected by fierce, liminal Goddess-forms; their presence signifies removal of fear and obstacles for devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s shrine-glorification, pointing to a local Devi-protective setting in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; it identifies the deity-forms and their sacred placement.