Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा उवाच । देवदेव जगन्नाथ करुणाकर शंकर । महापराधविध्वंसिन्नंधकारे स्मरांतक

Transliteration

durvāsā uvāca | devadeva jagannātha karuṇākara śaṃkara | mahāparādhavidhvaṃsinnaṃdhakāre smarāṃtaka

Translation

ଦୁର୍ବାସା କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦେବଦେବ, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, କରୁଣାକର ଶଙ୍କର! ହେ ମହାପରାଧବିଧ୍ୱଂସୀ, ହେ ଅନ୍ଧକାରସଂହାରକ, ହେ ସ୍ମରାନ୍ତକ!

Word by Word

• durvāsāḥ: Durvāsā
• durvāsāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durvāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• devadeva: O God of gods
• devadeva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय ‘देवानां देवः’

• jagannātha: O Lord of the world
• jagannātha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat-nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘जगतः नाथः’

• karuṇākara: O source of compassion
• karuṇākara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā-kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘करुणायाः करः/आकरः’ (source of compassion)

• śaṃkara: O Śaṅkara
• śaṃkara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• mahāparādhavidhvaṃsin: O destroyer of great offenses
• mahāparādhavidhvaṃsin: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-parādha-vidhvaṃsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहुपद) ‘महान् पराधः’ + ‘विध्वंसिन्’ (destroyer)

• andhakāre: O Andhakāra (slayer of Andhaka / darkness)
• andhakāre: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• smarāntaka: O slayer of Smara (Kāma)
• smarāntaka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smara-antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘स्मरस्य अन्तकः’

Speaker

Durvāsā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Durvāsā stands with folded hands, eyes intense yet softened by devotion, reciting a cascade of Śiva’s names; Śiva appears tranquil, bearing the marks of the Kāma-dahana and Andhaka-slaying lord.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsā
• Śiva
• Andhaka/Andhakāra
• Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering Śiva through his epithets invokes his mercy and his power to destroy sins and offences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative setting; the specific Kāśī shrine is introduced in the subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the verse models nāma-smaraṇa and stuti (praise by divine names).