Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

नृसिंह यज्ञवाराह गोपगोपालवल्लभ । गोपीपते गुणातीत गरुडध्वज गोत्रभृत्

Transliteration

nṛsiṃha yajñavārāha gopagopālavallabha | gopīpate guṇātīta garuḍadhvaja gotrabhṛt

Translation

ஹே நரசிம்ஹா, ஹே யஜ்ஞவராஹா! ஹே கோபர்-கோபாலர்க்கு பிரியமானவனே, பசுக்களை காக்கும் ஆண்டவனே! ஹே கோபீபதே, குணாதீதனே; ஹே கருடத்வஜா, கோவர்தனத்தைத் தூக்கியவனே!

Word by Word

• नृसिंह: O Narasiṃha
• नृसिंह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ-सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नरः सिंह इव)

• यज्ञवाराह: O Yajñavarāha
• यज्ञवाराह: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ-वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (यज्ञस्वरूपः वाराहः / यज्ञः एव वाराहः)

• गोपगोपालवल्लभ: O beloved of cowherds and cowherd-boys
• गोपगोपालवल्लभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप-गोपाल-वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गोपानां गोपालानां च वल्लभः)

• गोपीपते: O lord of the gopīs
• गोपीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोपीनां पतिः)

• गुणातीत: O transcending the guṇas
• गुणातीत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण-अतीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गुणान् अतीतः)

• गरुडध्वज: O one whose banner is Garuḍa
• गरुडध्वज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड-ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य)

• गोत्रभृत्: O lifter/bearer of the mountain (Govardhana)
• गोत्रभृत्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र-भृत् (भृ धातु, कृत्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कृतान्तः (भृ + क्विप्), तत्पुरुषः (गोत्रं बिभर्ति इति)

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from Adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-devotee seeking protection and devotion in Kāśī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych-like vision: Narasiṃha fierce and protective; Varāha lifting earth with sacrificial symbols; and Gopāla with cows and gopīs—above them Garuḍa banner; Govardhana lifted in the background as ‘gotrabhṛt’.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛsiṃha
• Varāha
• Gopas
• Gopīs
• Garuḍa
• Govardhana (implied by gotrabhṛt)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma in many forms (avatāras) and yet remains beyond the guṇas; devotion recognizes both His play (līlā) and His cosmic sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; the verse itself is primarily avatāra-stuti rather than a direct tirtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; implied is nāma-japa of avatāra names for protection and purification.