Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

रणे राजकुले द्यूते संग्रामे शत्रुसंकटे । गृहे वने जलादौ च शर्वाणी सर्वतोऽवतु

Transliteration

raṇe rājakule dyūte saṃgrāme śatrusaṃkaṭe | gṛhe vane jalādau ca śarvāṇī sarvato'vatu

Translation

Im Kampf, am Königshof, im Glücksspiel, im Krieg und in der Bedrängnis durch Feinde; daheim, im Wald, in den Wassern und dergleichen — möge Śarvāṇī uns von allen Seiten schützen.

Word by Word

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• राजकुले: in a royal household/court
• राजकुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः कुलम्)

• द्यूते: in gambling
• द्यूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• संग्रामे: in war
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• शत्रुसंकटे: in danger from enemies
• शत्रुसंकटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु + संकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शत्रोः संकटम्)

• गृहे: at home
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• जलादौ: in water and the like
• जलादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जले आदिः यस्मिन्—जलादिषु)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शर्वाणी: Śarvāṇī (Pārvatī)
• शर्वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; देवीनाम

• सर्वतः: from all sides, in every way
• सर्वतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: दिग्वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: from all sides/always)

• अवतु: may (she) protect
• अवतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Śarvāṇī-protection stotra context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śarvāṇī stands at the center with a protective aura expanding in all directions; around her appear vignettes—battlefield, royal court, dice/game hall, war-camp, enemy ambush, home interior, forest path, and river crossing—each calmed by her gaze and raised abhaya hand.

Characters & Entities

• Śarvāṇī
• Śiva (Śarva, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion seeks steadfast refuge: whether in public power, private life, or danger, the Divine Mother is invoked as universal protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), a landscape celebrated for granting fearlessness through devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general sarvato-rakṣā invocation—used as a protective refrain within a stotra/kavaca sequence.