Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59
कंठप्रदेशमवतादिह नीलकंठी भूदारशक्तिरनिशं च कृकाटिकायाम् । कौर्म्यं सदेशमनिशं भुजदंडमैंद्री पद्मा च पाणिफलकं नतिकारिणां नः
kaṃṭhapradeśamavatādiha nīlakaṃṭhī bhūdāraśaktiraniśaṃ ca kṛkāṭikāyām | kaurmyaṃ sadeśamaniśaṃ bhujadaṃḍamaiṃdrī padmā ca pāṇiphalakaṃ natikāriṇāṃ naḥ
May Nīlakaṇṭhī protect our throat-region here; and may Bhūdārā-Śakti ever guard the nape of the neck. May Kaurmī continually protect this place; may Aindrī protect the arm; and may Padmā protect the palms of those of us who perform acts of reverent bowing.
Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework, typically Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A layered iconographic panel: Nīlakaṇṭhī guarding the throat with blue radiance; Bhūdārā-Śakti supporting the nape like earth-bearing power; Kaurmī as a tortoise-emblem of steadiness beneath; Aindrī empowering the arms with vajra-like strength; Padmā blessing the palms folded in namaskāra.
FAQs
It teaches devotional self-surrender through protective remembrance: invoking specific śaktis to guard the body of the worshipper, making reverent bowing and worship in Kāśī spiritually safeguarded and fruitful.
The setting is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī). While this verse names protective śaktis rather than a single kuṇḍa or ghāṭa, it functions within Kāśī’s sthala-māhātmya by sanctifying the devotee’s embodied worship in the holy city.
A nyāsa-like protective recitation is implied: remembering/invoking named śaktis to protect specific body-parts (throat, nape, place/region, arms, palms) especially for those engaged in namaskāra (bowing) and worship.