Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्सवक्षः श्रीकांत पीतांबर मुरांतक । कैटभारे बलिध्वंसिन्कंसारे केशिसूदन

Transliteration

śrīvatsavakṣaḥ śrīkāṃta pītāṃbara murāṃtaka | kaiṭabhāre balidhvaṃsinkaṃsāre keśisūdana

Translation

Ô Toi qui portes le Śrīvatsa sur la poitrine, bien-aimé de Śrī (Lakṣmī), revêtu du vêtement jaune; meurtrier de Mura, destructeur de Kaiṭabha, Toi qui brises l’orgueil de Bali, ennemi de Kaṃsa, vainqueur de Keśin !

Word by Word

• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: O one whose chest bears Śrīvatsa
• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīvatsa + vakṣas (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: śrīvatsa-vakṣas (तत्पुरुष: ‘having Śrīvatsa on the chest’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (विशेष रूप: -aḥ)

• śrīkāṃta: O beloved of Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śrīkāṃta: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīkānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pītāṃbara: O wearer of yellow garments
• pītāṃbara: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīta + ambara (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: pīta-ambara (कर्मधारय: ‘yellow-garmented’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• murāṃtaka: O slayer of Murā
• murāṃtaka: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: murā + antaka (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: murā-antaka (तत्पुरुष: ‘slayer of Murā’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kaiṭabhāre: O slayer of Kaiṭabha
• kaiṭabhāre: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaiṭabha + ari (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: kaiṭabha-ari (तत्पुरुष: ‘enemy/slayer of Kaiṭabha’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपम्: -e)

• balidhvaṃsin: O destroyer of Bali
• balidhvaṃsin: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali + dhvaṃsin (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: bali-dhvaṃsin (तत्पुरुष: ‘destroyer of Bali’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (इन्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• kaṃsāre: O slayer of Kaṃsa
• kaṃsāre: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃsa + ari (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: kaṃsa-ari (तत्पुरुष: ‘enemy/slayer of Kaṃsa’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपम्: -e)

• keśisūdana: O slayer of Keśin
• keśisūdana: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśin + sūdana (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: समासः: keśin-sūdana (तत्पुरुष: ‘slayer of Keśin’); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda, deduced); the litany is voiced by Vaiṣṇava devotees

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ādikeśava/Vaiṣṇava praise-cycle in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Chanting devotees vividly invoke Viṣṇu’s marks—Śrīvatsa on the chest, pītāmbara, Lakṣmī’s presence—while also recalling his victories over demons; the atmosphere is triumphant yet auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śrīvatsa
• Lakṣmī (Śrī)
• Mura
• Kaiṭabha
• Bali
• Kaṃsa
• Keśin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is praised as both beautiful (Lakṣmī’s beloved) and protective (destroyer of evil), uniting grace and guardianship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praise occurs within Kāśī’s sacred itinerary, reflecting the Vaiṣṇava dimension of Kāśī-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devotional recitation of Viṣṇu’s epithets as a form of worship (stuti/nāma-japa).