Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यव्यापिनि शिवे शंखचक्रगदाधरि । स्वशार्ङ्गव्यग्रहस्ताग्रे नमो विष्णुस्वरूपिणि

Transliteration

trailokyavyāpini śive śaṃkhacakragadādhari | svaśārṅgavyagrahastāgre namo viṣṇusvarūpiṇi

Translation

ഹേ ത്രിലോകവ്യാപിനി ശിവേ, ശംഖ-ചക്ര-ഗദാധാരിണി, ശാർങ്ഗധനുസ്സിന്മേൽ കൈ സജ്ജമായിരിക്കുന്നവളേ—ഹേ വിഷ്ണുസ്വരൂപിണി, നിനക്കു നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• trailokya-vyāpini: O pervader of the three worlds
• trailokya-vyāpini: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trailokya (प्रातिपदिक) + vyāpinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: त्रैलोक्यस्य व्यापिनी

• śive: O Śivā (Auspicious One)
• śive: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivā/śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-dhari: O bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• śaṃkha-cakra-gadā-dhari: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha (प्रातिपदिक) + cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + dharī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः: शंखं चक्रं गदां च धारयति इति धरी

• sva-śārṅga-vyagra-hasta-agre: at the fore of the hand busy with (the bow) Śārṅga
• sva-śārṅga-vyagra-hasta-agre: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vyagra (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः: स्वशार्ङ्गे व्यग्रो हस्तः, तस्य अग्रे (at the front/tip of the hand engaged with Śārṅga)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• viṣṇu-svarūpiṇi: O one whose form is Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-svarūpiṇi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विष्णोः स्वरूपिणी

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as Śivā pervading the three worlds, yet depicted with śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, and the Śārṅga bow—an intentional iconographic fusion expressing Hari-Hara unity; Devas continue their hymn.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Durgā)
• Śiva/Śivā
• Viṣṇu
• Śārṅga
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme Goddess transcends sectarian boundaries, manifesting as both Śiva’s auspicious power and Viṣṇu’s protective form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn occurs within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative stream, supporting Kāśī’s fame as a divinely protected kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicit; it functions as a stotra-style salutation suitable for recitation.