Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गोविंदगोपगोपाल गोपीजनमनोहर । गदापाणे गुणातीत गुणाढ्य गरुडध्वज

Transliteration

goviṃdagopagopāla gopījanamanohara | gadāpāṇe guṇātīta guṇāḍhya garuḍadhvaja

Translation

يا جوفيندا، يا حامي الرعاة؛ يا جوبالا، يا مُبهِج قلوب الغوبيات! يا حامل الهراوة، يا من تجاوز الغونات ومع ذلك امتلأ بكل الفضائل؛ يا من رايته غارودا!

Word by Word

• गोविन्द: O Govinda
• गोविन्द: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गोप: O cowherd
• गोप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (नामरूपेण)

• गोपाल: O protector of cows
• गोपाल: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• गोपि-जन-मनोहर: O one who enchants the gopīs
• गोपि-जन-मनोहर: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोपिजनस्य मनोहरः)

• गदा-पाणे: O mace-handed one
• गदा-पाणे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गदा यस्य पाणौ)

• गुणातीत: O transcender of the guṇas
• गुणातीत: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणान् अतीतः)

• गुणाढ्य: O rich in virtues
• गुणाढ्य: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणैः आढ्यः)

• गरुडध्वज: O one whose banner is Garuḍa
• गरुडध्वज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as setting) / Vraja (as invoked sacred memory)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional hymn scene: a devotee (or king) with raised hands chanting; vision of Govinda as Gopāla—youthful Krishna with garland, yet also as regal Viṣṇu with mace and Garuḍa banner; gopīs’ hearts symbolized by lotuses turning toward him.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Garuḍa
• Gopīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is nourished by nāma-smaraṇa—adoring the Lord through His divine names and attributes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the verse is a stotra-like invocation within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit nāma-japa/stuti: chanting and praising Viṣṇu through epithets such as Govinda and Garuḍadhvaja.