Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अस्माकं तापसानां च न भयं त्वद्विधान्मनाक् । शिवनामसहस्राणां विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्

Transliteration

asmākaṃ tāpasānāṃ ca na bhayaṃ tvadvidhānmanāk | śivanāmasahasrāṇāṃ vibhūtikṛtavarmaṇām

Translation

ഞങ്ങളായ തപസ്വികൾക്ക് നിനക്കുപോലെയുള്ള ജീവികളാൽ അല്പമെങ്കിലും ഭയം ഇല്ല; ശിവസഹസ്രനാമജപം ഞങ്ങളെ കാക്കുന്നു, വിഭൂതി-ധാരണമെന്ന കവചം ഞങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun) — 'of us'

• तापसानाम्: of ascetics
• तापसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वद्विधान्: from people like you
• त्वद्विधान्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'त्वद्-विदान' = 'like you'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन (Plural) — 'from persons like you'

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'even a little')

• शिवनामसहस्राणाम्: of the thousands of names of Śiva
• शिवनामसहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्देश/सम्बन्ध: 'शिव-नाम-सहस्र' = 'thousands of Shiva-names'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्: of those whose armor is made of vibhūti (sacred ash)
• विभूतिकृतवर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + वर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('विभूति-कृत-वर्मन्' = 'whose armor is made of sacred ash'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural) — विशेषण (adjective) qualifying implied 'जनानाम्/तापसानाम्'

Speaker

Tapasvī (ascetic/sage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśvanātha-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fearless tapasvin stands calm before a threatening being; his body bears sacred ash stripes, and the air seems charged with the resonance of Śiva’s thousand names, forming an invisible armor.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vibhūti (sacred ash)
• Śiva-nāma-sahasra (thousand names of Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fearlessness arises from Śaiva refuge—Śiva-nāma-japa and vibhūti symbolize inner purity and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Vārāṇasī’s sacred domain), though this verse itself emphasizes Śiva’s protective names rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of Śiva’s thousand names and wearing/using vibhūti (sacred ash) as a protective religious observance.