Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

धूम्राक्ष धूमनिःश्वास चंडचंडांशुतापन । महाभीषणमुख्याश्च शृण्वंत्वाज्ञां ममादरात्

Transliteration

dhūmrākṣa dhūmaniḥśvāsa caṃḍacaṃḍāṃśutāpana | mahābhīṣaṇamukhyāśca śṛṇvaṃtvājñāṃ mamādarāt

Translation

हे धूम्राक्ष धूमनिःश्वास चण्ड चण्डांशुतापन । महाभीषणमुख्याश्च शृण्वन्त्वाज्ञां ममादरात् ॥

Word by Word

• धूम्राक्ष: O smoke-eyed one
• धूम्राक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—धूम्राणि अक्षीणि यस्य सः

• धूमनिःश्वास: O one whose breath is smoke
• धूमनिःश्वास: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक) + निःश्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—धूमो निःश्वासो यस्य सः

• चंडचंडांशुतापन: O one who burns like the fierce sun
• चंडचंडांशुतापन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + चण्डांशु (प्रातिपदिक) + तापन् (तप् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—चण्डांशोः (प्रचण्डसूर्यस्य) इव तापयति इति

• महाभीषणमुख्याः: the very dreadful chiefs
• महाभीषणमुख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि—महाभीषणाः मुख्याः येषां ते (अथवा महाभीषणमुख्य-नामकाः)

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

• शृण्वन्तु: let them hear
• शृण्वन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• आज्ञाम्: command
• आज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आदरात्: out of respect
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from respect)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Smoke-eyed and smoke-breathing demons, sun-heat-bright and terrifying-faced chiefs stand in ranks as the lord issues a crisp order; the air is thick with smoke and heat shimmer.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority aligned with dharma demands attentive obedience; power is meant to be governed, not indulged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though this verse is part of the narrative dialogue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a directive to assembled beings.