Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पुंडरीकाक्ष दैत्यारे दामोदर बलप्रिय । बलारातिस्तुत हरे वासुदेव वसुप्रद

Transliteration

puṃḍarīkākṣa daityāre dāmodara balapriya | balārātistuta hare vāsudeva vasuprada

Translation

Ô Toi aux yeux de lotus, ennemi des daityas ; ô Dāmodara, cher à Balarāma ; ô Hari loué par Indra — ô Vāsudeva, dispensateur de prospérité et de bénédictions.

Word by Word

• पुण्डरीकाक्ष: O lotus-eyed one
• पुण्डरीकाक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (पुण्डरीकसदृशे अक्षिणी यस्य)

• दैत्यारे: O enemy of the daityas
• दैत्यारे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दैत्यानां अरिः)

• दामोदर: O Dāmodara (one with a rope-bound belly)
• दामोदर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाम-उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (दाम्ना बद्धम् उदरं यस्य)

• बलप्रिय: O beloved of Bala (Balarāma) / lover of strength
• बलप्रिय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बलं प्रियं यस्य / बलस्य प्रियः)

• बलारातिस्तुत: O praised by Indra (enemy of Bala/demons)
• बलारातिस्तुत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल-अराति-स्तुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बलस्य अरातिः इन्द्रः; तेन स्तुतः)

• हरे: O Hari
• हरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• वासुदेव: O Vāsudeva
• वासुदेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• वसुप्रद: O giver of wealth
• वसुप्रद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसु-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (वसूनि/धनं प्रददाति इति)

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kāśī-oriented sādhaka/pilgrim

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A garland of names encircles a lotus-eyed Vāsudeva; Dāmodara’s waist-cord is visible, while Indra (Balarāti) offers praise from the side; the devotee seeks blessings (vasu) with folded hands.

Characters & Entities

• Puṇḍarīkākṣa
• Dāmodara
• Balarāma
• Indra
• Hari
• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is both protector (destroyer of daityas) and benefactor (giver of prosperity); devotion integrates protection, grace, and ethical well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the praise functions as nāma-stuti within Kāśī’s sacred atmosphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports stotra-pāṭha and nāma-saṅkīrtana as devotional acts.