Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

हिरण्यकशिपोर्वक्षो विदारण रणप्रिय । नमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय गोब्राह्मणहिताय च

Transliteration

hiraṇyakaśiporvakṣo vidāraṇa raṇapriya | namo brahmaṇyadevāya gobrāhmaṇahitāya ca

Translation

ഹേ ഹിരണ്യകശിപുവിന്റെ വക്ഷസ്ഥലം പിളർത്തിയ, ധർമ്മയുദ്ധപ്രിയനേ! ബ്രാഹ്മണ്യദേവനു നമസ്കാരം; ഗോ-ബ്രാഹ്മണഹിതകാരനു നമസ്കാരം।

Word by Word

• हिरण्यकशिपोः: of Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of Hiraṇyakaśipu'

• वक्षः: chest
• वक्षः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'chest'

• विदारण: rending/tearing
• विदारण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + दृ (धातु) → विदारण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमान/भाववाचक-प्रयोगः — 'tearing, rending' (as epithet)

• रणप्रिय: battle-loving
• रणप्रिय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'fond of battle'

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — नमस्कारार्थकः; governs dative (चतुर्थी)

• ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय: to the god devoted to Brahmins
• ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन — 'to the Brahmin-favouring god'

• गोब्राह्मणहिताय: benefactor of cows and Brahmins
• गोब्राह्मणहिताय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'beneficial to cows and Brahmins'

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narasiṃha, lion-faced and radiant, tears open Hiraṇyakaśipu’s chest at the threshold; Prahlāda stands with folded hands; the scene is framed as dharma’s victory and protection of the pious.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛsiṃha (implied by Hiraṇyakaśipu episode)
• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Brāhmaṇas
• Cows (Go)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma by destroying tyranny and by safeguarding the foundations of sacred life—cows, brāhmaṇas, and righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; the verse itself is an avatāra-centered stuti (Nṛsiṃha motif).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it implicitly commends dharmic protection and devotional salutation.