Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सर्वस्य नाथस्य कुमारकाय क्रौंचारये तारकमारकाय । स्वाहेय गांगेय च कार्तिकेय शैवेय तुभ्यं सततं नमोऽस्तु

Transliteration

sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauṃcāraye tārakamārakāya | svāheya gāṃgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu

Translation

സകലത്തിന്റെയും നാഥനായ കുമാരനേ, ക്രൗഞ്ചശത്രുവേ, താരകസംഹാരകനേ—നിത്യ നമസ്കാരം. സ്വാഹാപുത്രാ, ഗംഗാപുത്രാ, കാർത്തികേയാ, ശൈവവംശജനേ—നിനക്കു സദാ പ്രണാമം।

Word by Word

• sarvasya: of all
• sarvasya: Sambandha (genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन

• nāthasya: of the lord
• nāthasya: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kumārakāya: to Kumāraka (the Youthful Lord)
• kumārakāya: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• krauṃcāraye: to the enemy of Krauncha
• krauṃcāraye: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: krauṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + ari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (krauṃcasya ariḥ: enemy of Krauncha), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tāraka-mārakāya: to the slayer of Tāraka
• tāraka-mārakāya: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + māraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (object relation: slayer of Tāraka), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• svāheya: O son of Svāhā
• svāheya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (descendant/son of Svāhā), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gāṃgeya: O son of Gaṅgā
• gāṃgeya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (born of/related to Gaṅgā), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• kārtikeya: O Kārtikeya
• kārtikeya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtikeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śaiveya: O Śiva's (son)
• śaiveya: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + -eya (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (related to Śiva), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kriya-viseshana (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative), नित्यत्वबोधक (always)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• astu: let it be
• astu: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A litany of names unfolds as visual vignettes: Skanda as Kumāra (youth), as Kraunca-bhedin (mountain pierced), as Tāraka-māraka (demon-slayer), as Gāṅgeya (river-born), as Śaiveya (Śiva’s scion), all unified in one radiant form receiving salutations.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Krauñca
• Tāraka
• Svāhā
• Gaṅgā
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the Lord through His many sacred names (nāma-smaraṇa) strengthens devotion and dharmic courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn is situated in Kāśī-khaṇḍa, aligning Skanda’s praise with the sanctity of Vārāṇasī’s sacred space.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit nāma-japa and stotra-recitation through repeated salutations and epithets.