Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

कंठप्रदेशमवतादिह नीलकंठी भूदारशक्तिरनिशं च कृकाटिकायाम् । कौर्म्यं सदेशमनिशं भुजदंडमैंद्री पद्मा च पाणिफलकं नतिकारिणां नः

Transliteration

kaṃṭhapradeśamavatādiha nīlakaṃṭhī bhūdāraśaktiraniśaṃ ca kṛkāṭikāyām | kaurmyaṃ sadeśamaniśaṃ bhujadaṃḍamaiṃdrī padmā ca pāṇiphalakaṃ natikāriṇāṃ naḥ

Translation

لتَحْمِ نِيلَكَنتْهِي موضع حناجرنا هنا، ولتحرس بْهُودَارَا-شَكْتِي مؤخرة العنق على الدوام. ولتحمِ كاورْمِي هذا الموضع بلا انقطاع، ولتحفظ آينْدْرِي العضد، ولتحمِ بَدْمَا أكفَّنا نحن المنحنين بخشوع.

Word by Word

• kaṃṭha-pradeśam: the throat-region
• kaṃṭha-pradeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃṭha + pradeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• avatāt: may (she) protect
• avatāt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: av (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• nīlakaṃṭhī: Nīlakaṇṭhī (she of blue throat)
• nīlakaṃṭhī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīla + kaṃṭha + ī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); (नीलः कण्ठः यस्याः सा)

• bhū-dāra-śaktiḥ: Bhūdārāśakti (name)
• bhū-dāra-śaktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū + dāra + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• aniśam: constantly
• aniśam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aniśam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: continually)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kṛkāṭikāyām: in the nape/neck-joint
• kṛkāṭikāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛkāṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• kaurmyaṃ: the turtle-like (part) / kaurmya (name)
• kaurmyaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaurmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• sa-deśam: together with its region
• sa-deśam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); (सः देशः यस्य तत्)

• aniśam: continually
• aniśam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aniśam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• bhuja-daṃḍam: the arm-staff (upper arm)
• bhuja-daṃḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuja + daṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• aiṃdrī: Aiṃdrī
• aiṃdrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiṃdrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• padmā: Padmā
• padmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pāṇi-phalakam: the palm (hand-plate)
• pāṇi-phalakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi + phalaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• nati-kāriṇām: of those who bow
• nati-kāriṇām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nati + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• naḥ: for us
• naḥ: Sampradāna/Beneficiary (for us/नः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered iconographic panel: Nīlakaṇṭhī guarding the throat with blue radiance; Bhūdārā-Śakti supporting the nape like earth-bearing power; Kaurmī as a tortoise-emblem of steadiness beneath; Aindrī empowering the arms with vajra-like strength; Padmā blessing the palms folded in namaskāra.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlakaṇṭhī
• Bhūdārā-Śakti
• Kaurmī
• Aindrī
• Padmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches devotional self-surrender through protective remembrance: invoking specific śaktis to guard the body of the worshipper, making reverent bowing and worship in Kāśī spiritually safeguarded and fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī). While this verse names protective śaktis rather than a single kuṇḍa or ghāṭa, it functions within Kāśī’s sthala-māhātmya by sanctifying the devotee’s embodied worship in the holy city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A nyāsa-like protective recitation is implied: remembering/invoking named śaktis to protect specific body-parts (throat, nape, place/region, arms, palms) especially for those engaged in namaskāra (bowing) and worship.