Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

हरिणा नैव विध्यंते हरिनामांशधारिणः । तस्य राज्ञो भयाद्व्याधैररण्यसुखचारिणः

Transliteration

hariṇā naiva vidhyaṃte harināmāṃśadhāriṇaḥ | tasya rājño bhayādvyādhairaraṇyasukhacāriṇaḥ

Translation

ഹരിനാമത്തിന്റെ ഒരു അംശമെങ്കിലും ധരിക്കുന്നവരെ ഹരിണങ്ങൾ (മാൻ) ബാധിക്കുകയില്ല; ആ രാജാവ് (ഹരി) എന്ന ഭയത്താൽ വനത്തിൽ സുഖമായി സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്ന വ്യാധന്മാർ (വേട്ടക്കാർ) പോലും പിന്മാറുന്നു।

Word by Word

• हरिणा: by a deer
• हरिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपातः

• विध्यन्ते: are struck
• विध्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्/विध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकालः), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (are pierced/struck)

• हरिनामांशधारिणः: those bearing a portion of Hari’s name (i.e., ‘hariṇa’ deer)
• हरिनामांशधारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हरेः नाम्नः अंशं धारयन्ति)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• व्याधैः: by hunters
• व्याधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• अरण्यसुखचारिणः: those who roam happily in the forest
• अरण्यसुखचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (अरण्ये सुखं चरन्ति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (protective field of Hari-nāma)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee walking near forest-edge or outskirts, softly repeating Hari’s name; deer pass unharmed; hunters with bows lower their weapons, as if restrained by fear of the unseen King Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Hunters (vyādha)
• Forest (araṇya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hari-nāma is portrayed as a protective spiritual ‘mark’—even a small connection to the Name brings fearlessness and safeguarding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The theme belongs to Kāśī’s Māhātmya framework, though the imagery is forest-based and illustrative rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is adopting and maintaining Hari-nāma—through japa, kīrtana, or devotional identity—rather than a material ritual.