Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चैद्यहंत्रे नमस्तुभ्यं दानवारेसुरारये । मुकुंदपरमानंद नंदगोपप्रियाय च

Transliteration

caidyahaṃtre namastubhyaṃ dānavāresurāraye | mukuṃdaparamānaṃda naṃdagopapriyāya ca

Translation

Salutations to You, slayer of Caidya (Śiśupāla), enemy of the Dānavas and foe of those who oppose the devas. O Mukunda, Supreme Bliss—salutations also to the Beloved of Nanda the cowherd.

Word by Word

• चैद्य-हन्त्रे: to the slayer of Caidya (Śiśupāla)
• चैद्य-हन्त्रे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: चैद्यं हन्ति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दानव-अरि: to the enemy of the Dānavas
• दानव-अरि: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: दानवानाम् अरिः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• असुर-अरये: to the enemy of the Asuras
• असुर-अरये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: असुराणाम् अरिः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• मुकुन्द: O Mukunda
• मुकुन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुकुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• परमानन्द: O supreme bliss
• परमानन्द: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (परमः आनन्दः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• नन्दगोप-प्रियाय: to the beloved of Nandagopa
• नन्दगोप-प्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दगोप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नन्दगोपस्य प्रियः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twofold vision: Kṛṣṇa as regal protector slaying Śiśupāla with Sudarśana, and Kṛṣṇa as Nanda’s beloved in Vraja, smiling with flute; the devotee in Kāśī chants ‘Mukunda’ with tears of joy.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu
• Caidya (Śiśupāla)
• Dānavas
• Devas
• Mukunda
• Nanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord grants mokṣa (as Mukunda) and also destroys entrenched hostility to dharma (as slayer of Caidya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting glorifies Kāśī broadly; this verse centers on Kṛṣṇa’s divine epithets.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it is intended for praise and remembrance.