Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

जय अन्धकदेहविनाश नमो जय दानववृन्दवधाय नमः । जय निष्कलरूप सकलाय नमो जय काल कामदहाय नमः

Transliteration

jaya andhakadehavināśa namo jaya dānavavṛndavadhāya namaḥ | jaya niṣkalarūpa sakalāya namo jaya kāla kāmadahāya namaḥ

Translation

অন্ধকের দেহ-বিনাশককে জয়, নমস্কার; দানববৃন্দ-সংহারককে জয়, নমস্কার। নিষ্কল হয়েও যিনি সকলরূপে প্রকাশ, তাঁকে জয়, নমস্কার; কালস্বরূপ, কামদাহককে জয়, নমস্কার।

Word by Word

• jaya: hail; victory to
• jaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), संबोधनार्थे जय-शब्दः (exclamation of victory/praise)

• andhaka-deha-vināśa: O destroyer of Andhaka’s body
• andhaka-deha-vināśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन (Vocative singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (अन्धकस्य देहस्य विनाशः)

• namo: obeisance
• namo: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमः-प्रयोगः (obeisance particle)

• jaya: hail
• jaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), जय-उद्गारः

• dānava-vṛnda-vadhāya: for the slaying of the host of demons
• dānava-vṛnda-vadhāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛnda (प्रातिपदिक) + vadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Dative singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (दानवानां वृन्दस्य वधः)

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमः-प्रयोगः

• jaya: hail
• jaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), जय-उद्गारः

• niṣkala-rūpa: O formless one
• niṣkala-rūpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkala (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन (Vocative singular); कर्मधारयसमासः (निष्कलं रूपं यस्य/निष्कलरूपः)

• sakalāya: to the all-formed/complete one
• sakalāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Dative singular)

• namo: obeisance
• namo: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमः-प्रयोगः

• jaya: hail
• jaya: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), जय-उद्गारः

• kāla: O Time (Death)
• kāla: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• kāma-dahāya: to the burner of Kāma
• kāma-dahāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + daha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Dative singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (कामस्य दाहः)

• namaḥ: obeisance
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), नमः-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Soma (continuing praise to Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (addressed as 'Pāṇḍava' in the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee-king offers a rhythmic victory-hymn to Śiva, evoking four iconic aspects: slaying Andhaka, destroying demon-hosts, the formless-yet-all-pervading reality, and the fiery Kāma-dahana.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka
• Dānava
• Śiva as Kāla
• Kāma (Manmatha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is praised as both transcendent (niṣkala) and immanent (sakala), the supreme protector who overcomes inner and outer demons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative that frames tīrtha-sevā as a means to purification and divine favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse exemplifies devotional recitation of Śiva’s names and deeds.