Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नमो दैत्यमहारण्य दाववह्निस्वरूपिणे । दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय नमस्ते शार्ङ्गपाणये

Transliteration

namo daityamahāraṇya dāvavahnisvarūpiṇe | daityadrumakuṭhārāya namaste śārṅgapāṇaye

Translation

السجود لك، يا من أنت كحريقٍ يلتهم الغابة العظمى من الديتيا؛ والسجود لك كالفأس الذي يقطع أشجار الشياطين—التحية لك يا شَارْنْغَپَانِي، حامل قوس شَارْنْغَا.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थे

• दैत्यमहारण्यदाववह्निस्वरूपिणे: to the one whose form is the forest-fire in the great forest of demons
• दैत्यमहारण्यदाववह्निस्वरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + महा + अरण्य + दाव + वह्नि + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः; स्वरूपिन् = 'स्वरूपयुक्त'

• दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय: to the axe for the demon-trees
• दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + द्रुम + कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; कुठार = 'axe' (metaphor)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थे

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; 'नमस्ते' प्रयोगे

• शार्ङ्गपाणये: to Śārṅgapāṇi (the one holding Śārṅga bow)
• शार्ङ्गपाणये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; शार्ङ्गपाणि = 'शार्ङ्ग-धनुः यस्य पाणौ'

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord appears as Śārṅgapāṇi, a blazing force like wildfire through a demon-forest; demons are shown as dark trees being felled by an axe-like radiance, while Dhruva praises with fearless devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Śārṅgapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma by destroying demonic forces—outer and inner—like fire consuming a forest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī narrative; it praises the deity rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it exemplifies stuti as a devotional safeguard and remembrance of divine protection.