Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

न डाकिन्यो न शाकिन्यो न कूष्मांडा न राक्षसाः । तस्य पीडां प्रकुर्वंति नामानीमानि यः पठेत्

Transliteration

na ḍākinyo na śākinyo na kūṣmāṃḍā na rākṣasāḥ | tasya pīḍāṃ prakurvaṃti nāmānīmāni yaḥ paṭhet

Translation

ഈ നാമങ്ങൾ പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നവനെ ഡാകിനികളും ശാകിനികളും കൂഷ്മാണ്ഡങ്ങളും രാക്ഷസന്മാരും പീഡിപ്പിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (particle of negation)

• डाकिन्यः: ḍākinīs
• डाकिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: डाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• शाकिन्यः: śākinīs
• शाकिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• कूष्माण्डाः: kūṣmāṇḍas (demons)
• कूष्माण्डाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• राक्षसाः: rākṣasas
• राक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• पीडाम्: affliction
• पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: cause/inflict
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्म

• इमानि: these
• इमानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

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

• पठेत्: should read/recite
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of shadowy ḍākinīs and rākṣasas attempts to approach a chanting devotee, but a luminous circle of names repels them; Kāśī temples glow behind.

Characters & Entities

• Ḍākinīs
• Śākinīs
• Kūṣmāṇḍas
• Rākṣasas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa teaches apotropaic dharma: sincere recitation of sacred names forms a spiritual safeguard against disruptive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the larger Māhātmya context; the verse describes protections promised within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation (paṭhana/japa) of the stated names as a protective practice.