Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नमो दैत्यमहारण्य दाववह्निस्वरूपिणे । दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय नमस्ते शार्ङ्गपाणये

Transliteration

namo daityamahāraṇya dāvavahnisvarūpiṇe | daityadrumakuṭhārāya namaste śārṅgapāṇaye

Translation

ദൈത്യമഹാരണ്യത്തിലെ ദാവാഗ്നിസ്വരൂപാ, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം. ദൈത്യവൃക്ഷങ്ങളെ വെട്ടുന്ന കുഠാരസ്വരൂപാ, ഹേ ശാർങ്ഗപാണി, നിനക്കു പ്രണാമം।

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थे

• दैत्यमहारण्यदाववह्निस्वरूपिणे: to the one whose form is the forest-fire in the great forest of demons
• दैत्यमहारण्यदाववह्निस्वरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + महा + अरण्य + दाव + वह्नि + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः; स्वरूपिन् = 'स्वरूपयुक्त'

• दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय: to the axe for the demon-trees
• दैत्यद्रुमकुठाराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + द्रुम + कुठार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; कुठार = 'axe' (metaphor)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थे

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; 'नमस्ते' प्रयोगे

• शार्ङ्गपाणये: to Śārṅgapāṇi (the one holding Śārṅga bow)
• शार्ङ्गपाणये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; शार्ङ्गपाणि = 'शार्ङ्ग-धनुः यस्य पाणौ'

Speaker

Dhruva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord appears as Śārṅgapāṇi, a blazing force like wildfire through a demon-forest; demons are shown as dark trees being felled by an axe-like radiance, while Dhruva praises with fearless devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Śārṅgapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma by destroying demonic forces—outer and inner—like fire consuming a forest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī narrative; it praises the deity rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it exemplifies stuti as a devotional safeguard and remembrance of divine protection.