Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

माहेश्वरीं समासाद्य भवान्याज्ञां प्रहृष्टवत् । अमर्त्यायाऽभयं दत्त्वा समरायोपचक्रमे

Transliteration

māheśvarīṃ samāsādya bhavānyājñāṃ prahṛṣṭavat | amartyāyā'bhayaṃ dattvā samarāyopacakrame

Translation

ماہیشوری کے حضور پہنچ کر اور بھوانی کی آگیا کو خوش دلی سے پا کر، اُس نے امر دیوتاؤں کو اَبھَے (بےخوفی) کا دان دیا اور پھر جنگ کے کام میں لگ گئی۔

Word by Word

• māheśvarīm: Māheśvarī (the Goddess)
• māheśvarīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māheśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samāsādya: having approached
• samāsādya: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having approached’

• bhavānyāḥ: of Bhavānī
• bhavānyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• ājñām: command
• ājñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prahṛṣṭavat: joyfully
• prahṛṣṭavat: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prahṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त from √hṛṣ) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानवाचक (adverbial) ‘like one delighted/joyfully’

• amartyāyāḥ: of the immortal (one)
• amartyāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amartyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of the immortal (goddess)’

• abhayam: fearlessness/assurance
• abhayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having given’

• samarāya: for battle
• samarāya: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; dative ‘for battle’

• upacakrame: set about/began
• upacakrame: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√kram (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī Khaṇḍa narration typically Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant goddess-warrior receives Bhavānī’s command, turns to the devas, raises a hand in abhaya-mudrā, and strides toward the battlefield.

Characters & Entities

• Māheśvarī
• Bhavānī
• Amartyāḥ (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection (abhaya) flows from the Goddess’s command; courage is sanctified when used to uphold dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse participates in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s wider sanctified setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on divine assurance (abhaya) and readiness for righteous battle.