Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

गोविंदगोपगोपाल गोपीजनमनोहर । गदापाणे गुणातीत गुणाढ्य गरुडध्वज

Transliteration

goviṃdagopagopāla gopījanamanohara | gadāpāṇe guṇātīta guṇāḍhya garuḍadhvaja

Translation

O Govinda, Beschützer der Kuhhirten; o Gopāla, Entzücken der Herzen der Gopīs! O Keulenträger, jenseits der Guṇas und doch voll aller Vorzüge; o Du, dessen Banner Garuḍa ist!

Word by Word

• गोविन्द: O Govinda
• गोविन्द: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गोप: O cowherd
• गोप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (नामरूपेण)

• गोपाल: O protector of cows
• गोपाल: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• गोपि-जन-मनोहर: O one who enchants the gopīs
• गोपि-जन-मनोहर: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोपि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक) + मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोपिजनस्य मनोहरः)

• गदा-पाणे: O mace-handed one
• गदा-पाणे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गदा यस्य पाणौ)

• गुणातीत: O transcender of the guṇas
• गुणातीत: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणान् अतीतः)

• गुणाढ्य: O rich in virtues
• गुणाढ्य: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणैः आढ्यः)

• गरुडध्वज: O one whose banner is Garuḍa
• गरुडध्वज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as setting) / Vraja (as invoked sacred memory)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional hymn scene: a devotee (or king) with raised hands chanting; vision of Govinda as Gopāla—youthful Krishna with garland, yet also as regal Viṣṇu with mace and Garuḍa banner; gopīs’ hearts symbolized by lotuses turning toward him.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Garuḍa
• Gopīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is nourished by nāma-smaraṇa—adoring the Lord through His divine names and attributes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the verse is a stotra-like invocation within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit nāma-japa/stuti: chanting and praising Viṣṇu through epithets such as Govinda and Garuḍadhvaja.