Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

कौस्तुभोद्भूषितोरस्क पूतनाधातुशोषण । रक्षरक्ष जगद्रक्षामणे नरकहारक

Transliteration

kaustubhodbhūṣitoraska pūtanādhātuśoṣaṇa | rakṣarakṣa jagadrakṣāmaṇe narakahāraka

Translation

हे कौस्तुभ मणि से सुशोभित वक्ष वाले, पूतना के प्राण हरने वाले! रक्षा करें, रक्षा करें! हे जगत के रक्षक शिरोमणि, हे नरक का नाश करने वाले!

Word by Word

• कौस्तुभ: of the Kaustubha jewel
• कौस्तुभ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौस्तुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'कौस्तुभस्य' (elliptic in compound)

• उद्भूषित: adorned
• उद्भूषित: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूष् (धातु) + उत्- (उपसर्ग) → उद्भूषित (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण

• उरस्क: O one with a chest
• उरस्क: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित) → उरस्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पूतनाधातुशोषण: O absorber of Pūtanā’s vital essence
• पूतनाधातुशोषण: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूतना (प्रातिपदिक) + धातु (प्रातिपदिक) + शोषण (शुष् धातु, ल्युट्-प्रत्यय/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— 'पूतनायाः धातूनां शोषणः'

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रक्ष: protect (again)
• रक्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• जगत्: of the world
• जगत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'जगतः' (in compound)

• रक्षामणे: O jewel of protection
• रक्षामणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— 'रक्षायाः मणिः' / 'रक्षामणिः'

• नरकहारक: O remover of hell
• नरकहारक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + हारक (हृ धातु से— 'हरति' इति; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः— 'नरकस्य हारकः'

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee offers fervent stuti to Viṣṇu: the Lord’s chest gleams with Kaustubha; the memory of Pūtanā’s defeat is evoked as a protective, demon-destroying power; the devotee’s hands are folded in urgent prayer.

Characters & Entities

• Kaustubha
• Pūtanā
• Naraka (Narakāsura/hell, contextually)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the Lord’s saving acts becomes a direct prayer for protection; divine grace removes both worldly danger and the ‘hell’ of suffering born of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the overarching setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse is primarily a protective invocation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The repeated ‘rakṣa rakṣa’ indicates a protective prayer to be recited (japa) in times of fear or as daily devotion.