Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

धृतशार्ङ्गधनुर्दंडं दंडिताखिलदानवम् । मधुकैटभहंतारं कंसविध्वंससूचकम्

Transliteration

dhṛtaśārṅgadhanurdaṃḍaṃ daṃḍitākhiladānavam | madhukaiṭabhahaṃtāraṃ kaṃsavidhvaṃsasūcakam

Translation

Il portait la puissance, telle un bâton, de l’arc Śārṅga, châtiant tous les démons ; meurtrier de Madhu et de Kaiṭabha, signe même et héraut de la ruine de Kaṃsa.

Word by Word

• धृत-शार्ङ्ग-धनुः-दण्डम्: holding the staff/bow named Śārṅga
• धृत-शार्ङ्ग-धनुः-दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृत (कृदन्त, धृ-धातु, क्त) + शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धृतं शार्ङ्गधनुः-दण्डं यस्य)

• दण्डित-अखिल-दानवम्: punisher of all demons
• दण्डित-अखिल-दानवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डित (कृदन्त, दण्ड्/दण्डय्-धातु, क्त) + अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अखिलान् दानवान् दण्डितवान्)

• मधु-कैटभ-हन्तारम्: slayer of Madhu and Kaiṭabha
• मधु-कैटभ-हन्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + कैटभ (प्रातिपदिक) + हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मधुकैटभयोः हन्ता)

• कंस-विध्वंस-सूचकम्: foretelling/indicating Kaṃsa’s destruction
• कंस-विध्वंस-सूचकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक) + विध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कंसस्य विध्वंसं सूचयति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord stands poised with the Śārṅga bow like a staff of authority; demons recoil. Iconic flashes of Madhu-Kaiṭabha’s defeat and the foretelling of Kaṃsa’s destruction appear as narrative vignettes around Him.

Characters & Entities

• Śārṅga (bow)
• Madhu
• Kaiṭabha
• Kaṃsa
• Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord safeguards dharma by restraining and destroying adharma—divine power is portrayed as protective justice (daṇḍa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the devotional description within the Kāśī section’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is theological and narrative, emphasizing divine protection rather than ritual acts.