Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तं विधूय शरत्रातं निजेषु निकरैरलम् । महेषुणाथ विव्याध सा तं दैत्यजनेश्वरम्

Transliteration

taṃ vidhūya śaratrātaṃ nijeṣu nikarairalam | maheṣuṇātha vivyādha sā taṃ daityajaneśvaram

Translation

Sacudiendo aquella lluvia de flechas con sus propias huestes en plena medida, ella hirió luego al señor del ejército de los daityas con un poderoso proyectil.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• विधूय: having shaken off
• विधूय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√धू (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having shaken off)

• शरत्रातम्: the one protected from arrows
• शरत्रातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर-त्रात (प्रातिपदिक); शर + त्रात (कृदन्त ‘protected/saved’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः—‘शरेभ्यः त्रातः’ (protected from arrows)

• निजेषु: among his own
• निजेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Plural); विशेषणम्

• निकरैः: with multitudes (troops)
• निकरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• अलम्: indeed; sufficiently
• अलम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पर्याप्त्यर्थे/समर्थ्यर्थे (indeclinable; sufficiently/indeed)

• महेषुणा: with a great arrow
• महेषुणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular); कर्मधारयः—‘महती इषुः’ (a great arrow)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनन्तरार्थक-निपातः (then/thereupon)

• विव्याध: pierced
• विव्याध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√व्यध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular, Parasmaipada)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• दैत्यजनेश्वरम्: the lord of the demons
• दैत्यजनेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-जन-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘दैत्यजनस्य ईश्वरः’ (lord of the demon-folk)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, surrounded by her attendant hosts, shakes off a dense rain of arrows and releases a single great missile that strikes the daitya-lord; the moment is poised, kinetic, and decisive.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Daitya lord

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine Śakti protects dharma by overcoming hostile forces; the Goddess’ victory is presented as the restoration of cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Varanasi Māhātmya), where divine interventions safeguard the sanctity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a battle-narrative line leading into celebratory praise.