Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

यदत्रोपचिकीर्षुस्त्वं रक्ष मां दुष्टदानवात् । ममापि हि वरो दत्तो भगवत्या महामुने

Transliteration

yadatropacikīrṣustvaṃ rakṣa māṃ duṣṭadānavāt | mamāpi hi varo datto bhagavatyā mahāmune

Translation

Wenn du hier wahrhaft helfen willst, so beschütze mich vor diesem bösen Dānava. Denn auch ich habe von der erhabenen Göttin eine Gnadengabe empfangen, o großer Muni.

Word by Word

• यत्: since/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause-link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम—‘since/that’ (clause connector)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• उपचिकीर्षुः: wishing to act/help
• उपचिकीर्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक-तुमुन्/सन्-प्रायः ‘चिकीर्षु’ (desiderative adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘wishing to do/help’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुष्टदानवात्: from the wicked demon
• दुष्टदानवात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेतौ/निश्चये (indeed/for)

• वरः: a boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि-विशेषणम् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(was) given’

• भगवत्या: by the Goddess
• भगवत्या: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्ता/करण), एकवचन; ‘by the Goddess’

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed woman appeals to a great sage: ‘Protect me from the wicked dānava’; a subtle aura indicates a boon received from the Goddess.

Characters & Entities

• Goddess (Bhagavatī)
• Dānava (implied)
• Great Sage (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace (boon) and human effort (protection) work together—compassionate action fulfills the intent of blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for protection and mentions a boon granted by the Goddess.