Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । नमो देवि जगद्धात्रि जगत्रयमहारणे । महेश्वर महाशक्ते दैत्यद्रुमकुठारके

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | namo devi jagaddhātri jagatrayamahāraṇe | maheśvara mahāśakte daityadrumakuṭhārake

Translation

เหล่าเทวะกล่าวว่า: ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระเทวี ผู้ทรงอุ้มชูโลก ผู้เป็นมหาสมรภูมิแห่งไตรโลกย์; โอ้มหาศักติแห่งพระมหेशวร ผู้ดุจขวานฟันโค่นพฤกษาแห่งอสูรไทตยะ ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์

Word by Word

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ūcuḥ: said/spoke
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), नमस्कारार्थक-निपात (salutatory particle)

• devi: O Goddess
• devi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• jagat-dhātri: O sustainer of the world
• jagat-dhātri: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + dhātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): जगतः धात्री

• jagat-traya-mahāraṇe: O great arena of the three worlds
• jagat-traya-mahāraṇe: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + mahāraṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः (determinative): जगतां त्रयस्य महारणिः (great battlefield/arena of the three worlds)

• maheśvara: O Maheshvara (Great Lord)
• maheśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• mahāśakte: O Great Power
• mahāśakte: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: महती शक्तिः

• daitya-druma-kuṭhārake: O axe to the demon-trees
• daitya-druma-kuṭhārake: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṭhāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः: दैत्याः (वृक्षवत्) द्रुमाः, तेषां कुठारकः (axe to the demon-trees)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas in reverent posture offer a hymn to Devī—radiant, protective, and fierce—standing as Maheśvara’s Mahāśakti, holding an axe-like power that fells the ‘trees’ of daityas; Kāśī’s sacred aura suggested in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Durgā (Mahādevī)
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Goddess is praised as world-sustainer and as Śiva’s supreme power, who removes demonic obstacles to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred frame; the stuti reinforces the city’s protection by Mahādevī within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stuti (praise) and namaskāra (salutation) are exemplified as core devotional practices.