Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सर्वस्य नाथस्य कुमारकाय क्रौंचारये तारकमारकाय । स्वाहेय गांगेय च कार्तिकेय शैवेय तुभ्यं सततं नमोऽस्तु

Transliteration

sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauṃcāraye tārakamārakāya | svāheya gāṃgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu

Translation

لتكن لك التحياتُ على الدوام—يا كُمارا، يا ربَّ الكلّ؛ يا عدوَّ كراونچا؛ يا قاتلَ تارَكا؛ يا ابنَ سْفَاهَا؛ يا ابنَ الغانغا؛ يا كارتيكِيا؛ يا السليلَ الإلهيَّ لشِيفا.

Word by Word

• sarvasya: of all
• sarvasya: Sambandha (genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन

• nāthasya: of the lord
• nāthasya: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kumārakāya: to Kumāraka (the Youthful Lord)
• kumārakāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• krauṃcāraye: to the enemy of Krauncha
• krauṃcāraye: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (krauṃcasya ariḥ: enemy of Krauncha), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tāraka-mārakāya: to the slayer of Tāraka
• tāraka-mārakāya: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + māraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (object relation: slayer of Tāraka), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• svāheya: O son of Svāhā
• svāheya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (descendant/son of Svāhā), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gāṃgeya: O son of Gaṅgā
• gāṃgeya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (born of/related to Gaṅgā), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kārtikeya: O Kārtikeya
• kārtikeya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śaiveya: O Śiva's (son)
• śaiveya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (related to Śiva), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kriya-viseshana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative), नित्यत्वबोधक (always)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• astu: let it be
• astu: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A litany of names unfolds as visual vignettes: Skanda as Kumāra (youth), as Kraunca-bhedin (mountain pierced), as Tāraka-māraka (demon-slayer), as Gāṅgeya (river-born), as Śaiveya (Śiva’s scion), all unified in one radiant form receiving salutations.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Krauñca
• Tāraka
• Svāhā
• Gaṅgā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the Lord through His many sacred names (nāma-smaraṇa) strengthens devotion and dharmic courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn is situated in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, aligning Skanda’s praise with the sanctity of Vārāṇasī’s sacred space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit nāma-japa and stotra-recitation through repeated salutations and epithets.