Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

नारायणाय नरकहारिणे पापहारिणे । वामनाय नमस्तुभ्यं हरये शौरये नमः

Transliteration

nārāyaṇāya narakahāriṇe pāpahāriṇe | vāmanāya namastubhyaṃ haraye śauraye namaḥ

Translation

नारायणाला नमस्कार—नरकदुःख हरिणाऱ्या, पाप हरिणाऱ्या। वामनाला नमस्कार; हरिला नमस्कार; शौरिला नमस्कार॥

Word by Word

• नारायणाय: to Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नरक-हारिणे: to the remover of hell
• नरक-हारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: नरकं हरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• पाप-हारिणे: to the remover of sin
• पाप-हारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: पापं हरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वामनाय: to Vāmana
• वामनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• हरये: to Hari
• हरये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• शौरये: to Śauri
• शौरये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Kāśī prays to Nārāyaṇa as a compassionate savior; above, Vāmana expands into Trivikrama, symbolizing the Lord’s power to lift beings from naraka into light.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Vāmana
• Hari
• Śauri (Kṛṣṇa)
• Naraka
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere surrender and remembrance of Nārāyaṇa is portrayed as a force that removes pāpa and its consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred milieu; the verse emphasizes spiritual purification rather than a named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the language supports nāma-japa as a purificatory practice.