Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

गर्भरक्षामणिर्मंत्रः काशीवर्णद्वयात्मकः । यस्य कंठे सदा तिष्ठेत्तस्याकुशलता कुतः

Transliteration

garbharakṣāmaṇirmaṃtraḥ kāśīvarṇadvayātmakaḥ | yasya kaṃṭhe sadā tiṣṭhettasyākuśalatā kutaḥ

Translation

ഗർഭരക്ഷാമണിപോലെ കാക്കുന്ന ഈ മന്ത്രം ‘കാശീ’ എന്ന രണ്ടു അക്ഷരസ്വരൂപമാണ്. ആരുടെ കണ്ഠത്തിൽ അത് സദാ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നുവോ, അവർക്കു അമംഗളം എവിടെ നിന്നുവരും?

Word by Word

• गर्भ-रक्षा-मणि-मन्त्रः: the mantra that is like a protective jewel for the womb
• गर्भ-रक्षा-मणि-मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (गर्भस्य रक्षा-हेतुः मणिः इव मन्त्रः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मकः: consisting of the two syllables ‘kā-śī’
• काशी-वर्ण-द्वय-आत्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (काशी-शब्दस्य वर्णद्वयेन आत्मकः = consisting of the two syllables of 'kāśī'); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• कण्ठे: in the throat
• कण्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तिष्ठेत्: may stand/remain
• तिष्ठेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन (Optative, 3rd sg.); परस्मैपद

• तस्य: for him/of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• अकुशलता: misfortune; ill-being
• अकुशलता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकुशलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); भाववाचक

• कुतः: from where?/how could it be?
• कुतः: Sambandha/Interrogative (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative: whence/how)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as varṇa-dvaya mantra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant jewel inscribed ‘Kāśī’ rests at a devotee’s throat like a protective amulet; a pregnant mother and child are symbolically sheltered under Śiva’s aura, while misfortune-figures flee.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Mantra
• Varṇa-dvaya (two syllables)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Chanting and holding the name ‘Kāśī’ is praised as a profoundly protective practice that removes inauspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose very name is treated as a protective mantra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/constant recitation or retention of the ‘Kāśī’ mantra (the two-syllable name) in one’s voice/throat.