Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

त्वं तु यज्ञपुमानत्र महायज्ञप्रवर्तकः । रक्षिता निजवीर्येण दक्षस्य त्र्यक्षवैरिणः

Transliteration

tvaṃ tu yajñapumānatra mahāyajñapravartakaḥ | rakṣitā nijavīryeṇa dakṣasya tryakṣavairiṇaḥ

Translation

‘നീ തന്നെയാണ് ഇവിടെ യജ്ഞപുരുഷൻ, ഈ മഹായജ്ഞത്തിന്റെ പ്രവർത്തകൻ; കൂടാതെ നിന്റെ സ്വവീര്യത്താൽ ത്രിനേത്രപ്രഭുവിന്റെ വൈരിയായ ദക്ഷനെ രക്ഷിക്കുന്നവനും നീയാകുന്നു.’

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• यज्ञपुमान्: the personified sacrifice
• यज्ञपुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + पुमान् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (यज्ञः एव पुमान्)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• महायज्ञप्रवर्तकः: the initiator of the great sacrifice
• महायज्ञप्रवर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायज्ञ + प्रवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महायज्ञस्य प्रवर्तकः)

• रक्षिता: protector
• रक्षिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षिता (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कृदन्त (तृच्/तृन्-प्रत्ययार्थे कर्तरि ‘रक्षिता’ = protector), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्वम्)

• निजवीर्येण: by (your) own power
• निजवीर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (निजं वीर्यम्)

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• त्र्यक्षवैरिणः: of the enemy of the three-eyed (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षवैरिणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अक्ष + वैरिन् (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्र्यक्षस्य वैरिणः = of the enemy of the three-eyed one)

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Viṣṇu
• Dakṣa
• Śiva (Tryakṣa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual (yajña) must align with reverence and dharma; otherwise it becomes a cause of conflict rather than merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse focuses on the yajña-episode rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references a ‘mahāyajña’ (great sacrifice) but gives no procedural injunction.