Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

नमोस्तु ते शंकर शांतशंभो नमोस्तु ते चंद्रकलावतंस । नमोस्तु तुभ्यं फणिभूषणाय पिनाकपाणेंऽधकवैरिणे नमः

Transliteration

namostu te śaṃkara śāṃtaśaṃbho namostu te caṃdrakalāvataṃsa | namostu tubhyaṃ phaṇibhūṣaṇāya pinākapāṇeṃ'dhakavairiṇe namaḥ

Translation

Verehrung sei dir, o Śaṅkara, o friedvoller Śambhu. Verehrung sei dir, dessen Scheitel vom Mondsichelkranz geschmückt ist. Verehrung sei dir, der Schlangen als Schmuck trägt; Verehrung sei dir, o Träger des Pināka-Bogens, Feind des Andhaka.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् नमस्-शब्दः (interjection) — ‘salutation’

• astu: let (it) be
• astu: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘let there be’

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tva(d) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन — ‘to you’

• śaṃkara: O Śaṅkara
• śaṃkara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• śānta-śaṃbho: O peaceful Śambhu
• śānta-śaṃbho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त; शम् धातु, क्त) + śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘O Śambhu who is peaceful’; पुँल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् — repetition

• astu: let (it) be
• astu: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tva(d) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• candra-kalā-vataṃsa: O one adorned with the moon’s crescent
• candra-kalā-vataṃsa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + vataṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘one whose ornament is the moon’s digit’; पुँल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्

• astu: let (it) be
• astu: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tva(d) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन — ‘to you’

• phaṇi-bhūṣaṇāya: to the serpent-ornamented one
• phaṇi-bhūṣaṇāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phaṇin (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘to (him) whose ornament is serpents’; पुँल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• pināka-pāṇe: O bearer of the Pināka (bow)
• pināka-pāṇe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pināka (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘O one with Pināka in hand’; पुँल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• andhaka-vairiṇe: to the slayer/enemy of Andhaka
• andhaka-vairiṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + vairin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘to the enemy of Andhaka’; पुँल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (Interjection/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् — closing salutation

Speaker

Unnamed devotee/praiser

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śaṅkara/Śambhu)
• Crescent Moon
• Serpents (Nāga)
• Pināka
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Śiva through his names and sacred attributes is itself an act of devotion that aligns the mind with auspiciousness and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Kāśī, but this verse praises Śiva’s forms and deeds rather than a particular shrine or ghāṭa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is nāma-smaraṇa and stuti (reverential recitation of names and attributes).