Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

ततः सर्वे समालोक्य ब्रह्माणं शरणं ययुः । स्तुवंतो विविधैः स्तोत्रै रक्षरक्षेति चाब्रुवन्

Transliteration

tataḥ sarve samālokya brahmāṇaṃ śaraṇaṃ yayuḥ | stuvaṃto vividhaiḥ stotrai rakṣarakṣeti cābruvan

Translation

Daraufhin blickten alle zu Brahmā und gingen zu ihm als Zuflucht; sie priesen ihn mit mancherlei Hymnen und riefen: „Schütze uns, schütze uns!“

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): तस्मात्/ततः = 'thereupon/then'

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समालोक्य: having looked at
• समालोक्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√lok (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), 'having seen/observed'

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (ब्रह्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शरणम्: as refuge; for refuge
• शरणम्: Gati/Karman (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (शरण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); गत्यर्थे द्वितीया (accusative of goal)

• ययुः: they went
• ययुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या-धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• स्तुवन्तः: praising
• स्तुवन्तः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stu (स्तु-धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विविधैः: with various
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (विविध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; स्तोत्रैः इति विशेषण

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (स्तोत्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• रक्ष: protect!
• रक्ष: Sambodhana/Prarthana (Address/प्रार्थना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (रक्ष्-धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रक्ष: protect!
• रक्ष: Sambodhana/Prarthana (Address/प्रार्थना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (रक्ष्-धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for urgency)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (इति-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle): 'thus'

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• अब्रुवन्: they said
• अब्रुवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू-धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of frightened devas turn toward Brahmā, hands folded, chanting varied hymns; Brahmā seated on a lotus, radiant, as the cosmos trembles in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Devas
• Asuras
• Prajāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and stuti (praise) are portrayed as immediate responses to chaos and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī-khaṇḍa, but this verse focuses on Brahmā as refuge rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of hymns (stotra) and supplication for protection are implied devotional acts.