Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

जितांतक महाबाहो महावक्त्र महीधर । दुंदुभे दुंदुभिरव महादुंदुभिनासिक

Transliteration

jitāṃtaka mahābāho mahāvaktra mahīdhara | duṃdubhe duṃdubhirava mahāduṃdubhināsika

Translation

ഓ ജിതാന്തകാ, മഹാബാഹോ! ഓ മഹാവക്ത്രാ, മഹീധരാ! ഓ ദുന്ദുഭേ, ദുന്ദുഭിരവമുള്ളവനേ! ഓ മഹാദുന്ദുഭിനാസികാ!

Word by Word

• जितांतक: O conqueror of Death
• जितांतक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि (धातु) क्त) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्तकं जितवान्)

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महौ बाहू यस्य)

• महावक्त्र: O large-faced one
• महावक्त्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (महद् वक्त्रं यस्य)

• महीधर: O earth-bearer / mountain-like one
• महीधर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त; √धृ (धातु) अच्/ण्वुल्-प्रत्ययार्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महीं धरति इति)

• दुंदुभे: O drum-like one / O Dundubhi
• दुंदुभे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; दुन्दुभि-शब्दः (ढोल/नगाड़ा)

• दुंदुभिरव: O one with a drum-like roar
• दुंदुभिरव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक) + रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दुन्दुभेः रवः/दुन्दुभिरवः)

• महादुंदुभिनासिक: O one with a huge drum-like nose
• महादुंदुभिनासिक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक) + नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दुन्दुभिसदृशी/दुन्दुभिवत् नासिका यस्य)

Speaker

Daitya-puṅgavaḥ (deduced from continued roll-call)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal guardian named Jitāntaka stands like a hill, with a great face and arms, holding a drum; his voice is visualized as rippling rings in the air, shaking banners and lamp flames at a Kāśī shrine entrance.

Characters & Entities

• Jitāntaka
• Dundubha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly might is catalogued in grand epithets, yet purāṇic dharma consistently frames such power as transient without righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned explicitly; the verse is part of a Kāśī-centered chapter narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.