Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

धूर्जटे नीलकंठेश पिनाकिञ्शशिशेखर । त्रिशूलपाणे विश्वेश रक्षरक्षेतिभाषणैः

Transliteration

dhūrjaṭe nīlakaṃṭheśa pinākiñśaśiśekhara | triśūlapāṇe viśveśa rakṣarakṣetibhāṣaṇaiḥ

Translation

En prononçant des prières telles que : «Ô Dhūrjaṭi ! Ô Seigneur Nīlakaṇṭha ! Ô Pinākin, ô Toi dont le croissant de lune est la couronne ! Ô Viśveśa, porteur du Triśūla—protège, protège !»—on appelle la garde de Śiva et l’on acquiert un mérite de bon augure à Kāśī.

Word by Word

• धूर्जटे: O Dhūrjaṭi
• धूर्जटे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्जटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नीलकंठेश: O Lord of the blue-throated one (i.e., blue-throated Lord)
• नीलकंठेश: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीलकण्ठ + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नीलकण्ठस्य ईशः)

• पिनाकिन्: O bearer of the Pināka bow
• पिनाकिन्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शशिशेखर: O moon-crested one
• शशिशेखर: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि + शेखर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शशिनः शेखरः)

• त्रिशूलपाणे: O trident-in-hand
• त्रिशूलपाणे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशूल + पाणि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रिशूलस्य पाणिः यस्य)

• विश्वेश: O Lord of the universe
• विश्वेश: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वस्य ईशः)

• रक्ष: protect!
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रक्ष: protect! (again)
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• भाषणैः: by utterances/sayings
• भाषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands with folded hands before Viśveśvara, chanting a litany of Śiva’s names; Śiva is envisioned above as Nīlakaṇṭha with crescent moon, trident and bow, radiating protective aura over Kāśī’s ghāṭs.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Dhūrjaṭi, Nīlakaṇṭha, Pinākin, Śaśiśekhara, Triśūlapāṇi)
• Viśveśa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Calling Śiva by his sacred names with a plea for protection is itself a meritorious, grace-invoking act—especially in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa/Viśveśvara in Kāśī, addressed as the universal Lord and protector.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāma-ucchāraṇa (recitation of Śiva’s epithets) and a protective supplication: ‘rakṣa rakṣa’.