Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नमः कौमोदकीव्यग्र कराग्राय गदाधर । महादनुजनाशाय नमो नंदकधारिणे

Transliteration

namaḥ kaumodakīvyagra karāgrāya gadādhara | mahādanujanāśāya namo naṃdakadhāriṇe

Translation

Hommage au Porteur de la massue, dont la main brandit la Kaumodakī ; hommage au Destructeur des puissants Dānavas ; hommage à Celui qui manie Nandaka, l’épée sacrée.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation; obeisance
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (indeclinable particle of salutation)

• kaumodakī-vyagra: O one intent on (wielding) Kaumodakī
• kaumodakī-vyagra: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaumodakī (प्रातिपदिक) + vyagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; विशेषण (vocative singular masculine adjective)

• karāgrāya: to the hand-tip (to the one whose hand-tip...)
• karāgrāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karāgra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (dative singular)

• gadādhara: O mace-bearer
• gadādhara: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (vocative singular)

• mahā-danuja-nāśāya: for the destruction of the great Danujas
• mahā-danuja-nāśāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + danuja (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (dative singular)

• namo: obeisance
• namo: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (indeclinable salutation form)

• naṃdaka-dhāriṇe: to the bearer of Nandaka (sword)
• naṃdaka-dhāriṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṃdaka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (dative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in Kāśī offers folded hands to four-armed Viṣṇu holding Kaumodakī mace and Nandaka sword, radiating protective power; subdued dānavas symbolize conquered inner vices.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kaumodakī
• Nandaka
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in the Lord’s protective power—He removes demonic forces and inner obstacles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where devotional praise is presented as meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it functions as a stuti suitable for japa/recitation.