Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
सर्वस्य नाथस्य कुमारकाय क्रौंचारये तारकमारकाय । स्वाहेय गांगेय च कार्तिकेय शैवेय तुभ्यं सततं नमोऽस्तु
sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauṃcāraye tārakamārakāya | svāheya gāṃgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu
সর্বের নাথ কুমারকে, ক্রৌঞ্চ-শত্রুকে, তারক-সংহারককে—নিত্য নমস্কার। স্বাহাপুত্র, গঙ্গাপুত্র, কার্ত্তিকেয়, শৈব-সন্তান—আপনাকে সদা প্রণাম।
Agastya
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.
FAQs
Remembering the Lord through His many sacred names (nāma-smaraṇa) strengthens devotion and dharmic courage.
The hymn is situated in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, aligning Skanda’s praise with the sanctity of Vārāṇasī’s sacred space.
Implicit nāma-japa and stotra-recitation through repeated salutations and epithets.