Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अस्माकं तापसानां च न भयं त्वद्विधान्मनाक् । शिवनामसहस्राणां विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्

Transliteration

asmākaṃ tāpasānāṃ ca na bhayaṃ tvadvidhānmanāk | śivanāmasahasrāṇāṃ vibhūtikṛtavarmaṇām

Translation

For us ascetics there is not the slightest fear of beings like you, for we are armoured with sacred ash and protected by the recitation of the thousand names of Śiva.

Word by Word

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun) — 'of us'

• तापसानाम्: of ascetics
• तापसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वद्विधान्: from people like you
• त्वद्विधान्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'त्वद्-विदान' = 'like you'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन (Plural) — 'from persons like you'

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'even a little')

• शिवनामसहस्राणाम्: of the thousands of names of Śiva
• शिवनामसहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्देश/सम्बन्ध: 'शिव-नाम-सहस्र' = 'thousands of Shiva-names'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्: of those whose armor is made of vibhūti (sacred ash)
• विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + वर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('विभूति-कृत-वर्मन्' = 'whose armor is made of sacred ash'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural) — विशेषण (adjective) qualifying implied 'जनानाम्/तापसानाम्'

Speaker

Tapasvī (ascetic/sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśvanātha-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearless tapasvin stands calm before a threatening being; his body bears sacred ash stripes, and the air seems charged with the resonance of Śiva’s thousand names, forming an invisible armor.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vibhūti (sacred ash)
• Śiva-nāma-sahasra (thousand names of Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fearlessness arises from Śaiva refuge—Śiva-nāma-japa and vibhūti symbolize inner purity and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī’s sacred domain), though this verse itself emphasizes Śiva’s protective names rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of Śiva’s thousand names and wearing/using vibhūti (sacred ash) as a protective religious observance.