Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

यावत्तं तु जिघृक्षामि तावत्तद्वदनांबुजात् । शिवनामपवित्रा वाङ्निरगाद्विघ्नहारिणी

Transliteration

yāvattaṃ tu jighṛkṣāmi tāvattadvadanāṃbujāt | śivanāmapavitrā vāṅniragādvighnahāriṇī

Translation

ഞാൻ അവനെ പിടിക്കാനൊരുങ്ങിയ അതേ നിമിഷം, അവന്റെ മുഖകമലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ശിവനാമം പവിത്രമാക്കിയ വാക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു—അത് സകല വിഘ്നങ്ങളും ഹരിക്കുന്നതായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालपरिमाणवाचक अव्यय (correlative; as long as/while)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (accusative singular; him)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Discourse/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक निपात (particle; but/indeed)

• जिघृक्षामि: I wish to seize
• जिघृक्षामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सन्नन्त (इच्छार्थ) रूप: जि-घृक्ष- (desiderative; I wish to seize)

• तावत्: then, for that long
• तावत्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तावदर्थक अव्यय (correlative; so long/just then)

• तत्: of him
• तत्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive singular; of him)

• वदन: mouth, face
• वदन: Samasa-member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6) एकवचन-पूर्वपद (as prior member in compound; face/mouth)

• अम्बुजात्: from the lotus-like mouth
• अम्बुजात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुज (प्रातिपदिक; अम्बु+ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समास: वदन-अम्बुज (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोगः: 'lotus-like face'); अपादान (ablative singular; from the lotus (mouth))

• शिवनाम: the name of Śiva
• शिवनाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + नामन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समास: शिवस्य नाम (genitive tatpurusha)

• पवित्रा: purifying, sacred
• पवित्रा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular; qualifying vāk)

• वाक्: speech, utterance
• वाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• निरगात्: issued forth
• निरगात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (imperfect, 3rd singular; went out/issued forth)

• विघ्नहारिणी: removing obstacles
• विघ्नहारिणी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघ्न-हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; विघ्न + हारिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण; समास: विघ्नान् हरति इति (upapada-tatpurusha)

Speaker

Preta (departed spirit), describing the power of Śiva-nāma (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The mendicant’s mouth shown as a lotus; from it emanate luminous syllables ‘Śiva’ as radiant script, forming a protective aura that halts the attacker mid-grab; obstacles (dark knots) dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-nāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s Name is intrinsically purifying and functions as a remover of obstacles, even interrupting imminent sin and turning the mind toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s spiritual atmosphere is implied; the verse chiefly glorifies Śiva-nāma rather than a particular spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, nāma-smaraṇa/japa of “Śiva” is upheld as a powerful practice.