Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

दुर्गो नाम मदादैत्यो रुरु दैत्यांगजोभवत् । यश्च तप्त्वा तपस्तीव्रं पुंभ्योजेयत्वमाप्तवान्

Transliteration

durgo nāma madādaityo ruru daityāṃgajobhavat | yaśca taptvā tapastīvraṃ puṃbhyojeyatvamāptavān

Translation

ರುರು ದೈತ್ಯವಂಶದಲ್ಲಿ “ದುರ್ಗ” ಎಂಬ ಮಹಾದೈತ್ಯನು ಜನಿಸಿದನು; ಅವನು ತೀವ್ರ ತಪಸ್ಸು ಮಾಡಿ ಪುರುಷರಿಂದ ಅಜೇಯತ್ವವನ್ನು ಪಡೆದನು।

Word by Word

• दुर्गः: (one named) Durga/Durgaḥ
• दुर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक ("by name")

• मदात्: from Mada
• मदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• दैत्यः: a demon (Daitya)
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुरुः: Ruru (name)
• रुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दैत्याङ्गजः: son of a Daitya
• दैत्याङ्गजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्याङ्गज (प्रातिपदिक: दैत्य + अङ्गज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभवत्: was born / became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तप्त्वा: having performed austerity / having heated (i.e., done tapas)
• तप्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तीव्रम्: intense
• तीव्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तपः)

• पुम्भ्यः: for men / from men
• पुम्भ्यः: Sampradana/Apadana (Recipient/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (4th Dative / 5th Ablative), बहुवचन

• अजयत्वम्: invincibility
• अजयत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजयत्व (प्रातिपदिक: अजय + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्तवान्: obtained
• आप्तवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Introduction of the Daitya named Durga, son of Ruru, performing fierce austerities and receiving a boon of invincibility against men.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Durga (Daitya)
• Ruru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas without dharma can empower ego and oppression; power must be governed by righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Kāśī narrative framework; this verse itself is genealogical and does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes severe austerity (tapas) undertaken by the Daitya.