Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

श्रीवत्सवक्षः श्रीकांत श्रीकर श्रेयसां निधे । श्रीरंगशार्ङ्गकोदंड शौरे शीतांशुलोचन

Transliteration

śrīvatsavakṣaḥ śrīkāṃta śrīkara śreyasāṃ nidhe | śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa śaure śītāṃśulocana

Translation

శ్రీవత్సాంకిత వక్షస్థలుడా, శ్రీకాంతా, మంగళప్రదా, శ్రేయస్సుల నిధీ; శ్రీరంగనాథా, శార్ఙ్గ ధనుస్సు ధరించువాడా; హే శౌరీ, చంద్రనేత్రా!

Word by Word

• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: O one with Śrīvatsa on the chest
• śrīvatsavakṣaḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīvatsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (श्रीवत्सः वक्षसि यस्य/श्रीवत्सयुक्तं वक्षः)

• śrīkāṃta: O beloved of Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śrīkāṃta: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्रियाः कान्तः)

• śrīkara: O bestower of prosperity
• śrīkara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (श्रियः करः/श्रीं करोति इति)

• śreyasām: of auspicious goods / of welfare
• śreyasām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘श्रेयस्’ = कल्याणानि

• nidhe: O treasure
• nidhe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa: O Śrīraṅga, bearer of Śārṅga and the bow (Kodaṇḍa)
• śrīraṃgaśārṅgakodaṃḍa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīraṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + kodaṃḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपद-समासः (श्रीरङ्गः च शार्ङ्गः च कोदण्डः च—इति नामसमूहः)

• śaure: O Śauri
• śaure: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• śītāṃśulocana: O moon-eyed one (cool-rayed-eyed)
• śītāṃśulocana: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शीतांशु-सदृशे लोचने यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (universal tīrtha-field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu stands radiant: Śrīvatsa on chest, Lakṣmī near, holding the Śārṅga bow; moon-like eyes soften the warrior iconography into benevolent protection; devotees in Kāśī offer lamps and flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Śrīvatsa
• Śrīraṅga
• Śārṅga
• Śauri

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplating Hari’s auspicious attributes (Śrī, śreyas, divine marks and weapons) is framed as a path to inner welfare and благословение.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sits within Kāśī’s Māhātmya; the verse itself is primarily a litany of Viṣṇu’s names rather than a single tirtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice is stuti/japa—reciting these sanctifying names as devotional discipline.