Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्सवक्षः श्रीकांत श्रीकर श्रेयसां निधे । श्रीरंगशार्ङ्गकोदंड शौरे शीतांशुलोचन

Transliteration

śrīvatsavakṣaḥ śrīkāṃta śrīkara śreyasāṃ nidhe | śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa śaure śītāṃśulocana

Translation

يا من على صدرِه علامةُ شْرِيفَتْسَا؛ يا حبيبَ شْرِي؛ يا مانحَ اليُمن؛ يا كنزَ كلِّ خير؛ يا ربَّ شْرِيرَنْغَا؛ يا حاملَ قوسِ شَارْنْغَا؛ يا شَوْرِي، يا ذا العينينِ كالقمر!

Word by Word

• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: O one with Śrīvatsa on the chest
• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīvatsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (श्रीवत्सः वक्षसि यस्य/श्रीवत्सयुक्तं वक्षः)

• śrīkāṃta: O beloved of Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śrīkāṃta: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्रियाः कान्तः)

• śrīkara: O bestower of prosperity
• śrīkara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्रियः करः/श्रीं करोति इति)

• śreyasām: of auspicious goods / of welfare
• śreyasām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘श्रेयस्’ = कल्याणानि

• nidhe: O treasure
• nidhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa: O Śrīraṅga, bearer of Śārṅga and the bow (Kodaṇḍa)
• śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīraṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + kodaṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपद-समासः (श्रीरङ्गः च शार्ङ्गः च कोदण्डः च—इति नामसमूहः)

• śaure: O Śauri
• śaure: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• śītāṃśulocana: O moon-eyed one (cool-rayed-eyed)
• śītāṃśulocana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शीतांशु-सदृशे लोचने यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (universal tīrtha-field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu stands radiant: Śrīvatsa on chest, Lakṣmī near, holding the Śārṅga bow; moon-like eyes soften the warrior iconography into benevolent protection; devotees in Kāśī offer lamps and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Śrīvatsa
• Śrīraṅga
• Śārṅga
• Śauri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplating Hari’s auspicious attributes (Śrī, śreyas, divine marks and weapons) is framed as a path to inner welfare and благословение.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Kāśī’s Māhātmya; the verse itself is primarily a litany of Viṣṇu’s names rather than a single tirtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice is stuti/japa—reciting these sanctifying names as devotional discipline.