Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

यदि जातुचिदंधकद्विषस्तवनामौष्ठपुटाद्विनिःसृतम् । शिवशंकर चंद्रशेखरेत्यसकृत्तस्य न संसृतिः पुनः

Transliteration

yadi jātucidaṃdhakadviṣastavanāmauṣṭhapuṭādviniḥsṛtam | śivaśaṃkara caṃdraśekharetyasakṛttasya na saṃsṛtiḥ punaḥ

Translation

If even once Your Name—the foe of Andhaka—slips forth from a person’s lips, and if he repeatedly utters ‘Śiva, Śaṅkara, Candraśekhara,’ then for him there is no return to transmigration.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Avyaya (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (Conditional particle)

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/सम्भावना-अव्यय (ever/at any time)

• चित्: at all
• चित्: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Enclitic particle: 'even/at all')

• अंधकद्विषः: of the slayer/enemy of Andhaka (Śiva)
• अंधकद्विषः: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंधक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्विष् (धातु) + क्विप्/प्रातिपदिक (द्विष्-शब्द)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive Tatpurusha: 'enemy of Andhaka'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• औष्ठपुटात्: from the lips/mouth
• औष्ठपुटात्: Apadana (Source/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (Determinative: 'lip-cavity/mouth'), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• विनिःसृतम्: uttered/issued forth
• विनिःसृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निः-सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवशंकरचंद्रशेखर: (the names) Śiva, Śaṅkara, Candraśekhara
• शिवशंकरचंद्रशेखर: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + चंद्रशेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्वन्द्व (Copulative: names in coordination), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular) (समाहार-एकवचन as a collective name-string)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (Quotative particle)

• असकृत्: repeatedly
• असकृत्: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्ति-अव्यय (Adverb: repeatedly)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (Negation particle)

• संसृतिः: rebirth/worldly wandering
• संसृतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (Adverb: again)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta (universalized nāma-mahātmya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (direct address) and the audience within Kāśī narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close-up of lips releasing luminous syllables 'Śiva, Śaṅkara, Candraśekhara' as golden-white letters; behind, a wheel of saṃsāra breaks; in a faint background, Śiva as Andhakadviṣ (slayer of Andhaka) stands triumphant, moon on his matted hair.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Andhaka
• Śaṅkara
• Candraśekhara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Repeated utterance of Śiva’s Names is presented as a direct means to end saṃsāra (rebirth).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reinforcing Kāśī as the foremost field for Śiva-bhakti and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-japa is explicitly implied by repeating the Names ‘Śiva, Śaṅkara, Candraśekhara’.