Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

गर्भरक्षामणिर्मंत्रः काशीवर्णद्वयात्मकः । यस्य कंठे सदा तिष्ठेत्तस्याकुशलता कुतः

Transliteration

garbharakṣāmaṇirmaṃtraḥ kāśīvarṇadvayātmakaḥ | yasya kaṃṭhe sadā tiṣṭhettasyākuśalatā kutaḥ

Translation

Das mantra, ein schützendes Juwel—gleich einem Wächter im Mutterleib—besteht aus den zwei Silben «Kāśī». Bei dem, in dessen Kehle es stets verweilt, woher sollte Unheil kommen?

Word by Word

• गर्भ-रक्षा-मणि-मन्त्रः: the mantra that is like a protective jewel for the womb
• गर्भ-रक्षा-मणि-मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (गर्भस्य रक्षा-हेतुः मणिः इव मन्त्रः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मकः: consisting of the two syllables ‘kā-śī’
• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (काशी-शब्दस्य वर्णद्वयेन आत्मकः = consisting of the two syllables of 'kāśī'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• कण्ठे: in the throat
• कण्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तिष्ठेत्: may stand/remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Optative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• तस्य: for him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• अकुशलता: misfortune; ill-being
• अकुशलता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकुशलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); भाववाचक

• कुतः: from where?/how could it be?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Interrogative (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative: whence/how)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as varṇa-dvaya mantra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant jewel inscribed ‘Kāśī’ rests at a devotee’s throat like a protective amulet; a pregnant mother and child are symbolically sheltered under Śiva’s aura, while misfortune-figures flee.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mantra
• Varṇa-dvaya (two syllables)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Chanting and holding the name ‘Kāśī’ is praised as a profoundly protective practice that removes inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose very name is treated as a protective mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/constant recitation or retention of the ‘Kāśī’ mantra (the two-syllable name) in one’s voice/throat.