Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तं विधूय शरत्रातं निजेषु निकरैरलम् । महेषुणाथ विव्याध सा तं दैत्यजनेश्वरम्

Transliteration

taṃ vidhūya śaratrātaṃ nijeṣu nikarairalam | maheṣuṇātha vivyādha sā taṃ daityajaneśvaram

Translation

ಆ ಶರವರ್ಷವನ್ನು ತನ್ನ ಸೈನ್ಯಸಮೂಹಗಳಿಂದ ಸಮ್ಯಕ್‌ವಾಗಿ ತಳ್ಳಿ ಹಾಕಿ, ಆ ದೇವಿಯು ಮಹಾಶರದಿಂದ ದೈತ್ಯಗಣಾಧಿಪತಿಯನ್ನು ಭೇದಿಸಿದಳು।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• विधूय: having shaken off
• विधूय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√धू (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्यय-क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having shaken off)

• शरत्रातम्: the one protected from arrows
• शरत्रातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर-त्रात (प्रातिपदिक); शर + त्रात (कृदन्त ‘protected/saved’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः—‘शरेभ्यः त्रातः’ (protected from arrows)

• निजेषु: among his own
• निजेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Locative, Plural); विशेषणम्

• निकरैः: with multitudes (troops)
• निकरैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

• अलम्: indeed; sufficiently
• अलम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पर्याप्त्यर्थे/समर्थ्यर्थे (indeclinable; sufficiently/indeed)

• महेषुणा: with a great arrow
• महेषुणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + इषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular); कर्मधारयः—‘महती इषुः’ (a great arrow)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनन्तरार्थक-निपातः (then/thereupon)

• विव्याध: pierced
• विव्याध: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√व्यध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular, Parasmaipada)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• दैत्यजनेश्वरम्: the lord of the demons
• दैत्यजनेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य-जन-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘दैत्यजनस्य ईश्वरः’ (lord of the demon-folk)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, surrounded by her attendant hosts, shakes off a dense rain of arrows and releases a single great missile that strikes the daitya-lord; the moment is poised, kinetic, and decisive.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Daitya lord

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine Śakti protects dharma by overcoming hostile forces; the Goddess’ victory is presented as the restoration of cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Varanasi Māhātmya), where divine interventions safeguard the sanctity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a battle-narrative line leading into celebratory praise.