Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48
नमो धीराय धर्माय धर्मपालाय ते नमः । नीलग्रीव नमस्तुभ्यं नमस्ते नीललोहित
namo dhīrāya dharmāya dharmapālāya te namaḥ | nīlagrīva namastubhyaṃ namaste nīlalohita
ധീരനേ, ധർമ്മസ്വരൂപനേ, ധർമ്മപാലകനേ—നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം. നീലഗ്രീവ പ്രഭോ, നിനക്കു പ്രണാമം; നീലലോഹിതാ, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം.
Skanda (deduced for Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣi audience / pilgrims
Scene: Blue-throated Śiva (Nīlagrīva) stands as a guardian at Kāśī’s threshold, holding protective posture; a subtle ocean-churning vignette may appear in the background as symbolic reference to poison-bearing for the world’s welfare.
FAQs
Śiva is praised as the ground and guardian of dharma—devotion is framed as alignment with moral and cosmic order.
The Kāśī setting is implicit; the verse is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s glorification of Śiva’s presence in the sacred city.
None explicitly; the verse primarily offers nāma-namaskāra (salutation through divine names).