Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

ये मां दुर्गां शरणगा न तेषां दुर्गतिः क्वचित् । दुर्गास्तुतिरियं पुण्या वज्रपंजरसंज्ञिका

Transliteration

ye māṃ durgāṃ śaraṇagā na teṣāṃ durgatiḥ kvacit | durgāstutiriyaṃ puṇyā vajrapaṃjarasaṃjñikā

Translation

ผู้ใดมอบตนเป็นที่พึ่งแก่ข้าพเจ้า พระแม่ทุรคา ผู้นั้นย่อมไม่ประสบเคราะห์ร้ายไม่ว่าเมื่อใด บทสรรเสริญพระแม่ทุรคานี้เป็นมงคล เรียกว่า “วัชรปัญชระ” คือกรงเพชรอันแข็งกล้า

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• दुर्गाम्: Durgā
• दुर्गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• शरणगाः: having taken refuge
• शरणगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरण-ग (गम् धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रातिपदिक: शरणगत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural); क्तान्त-विशेषणम् (past participle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• दुर्गतिः: misfortune; bad fate
• दुर्गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्-गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• क्वचित्: anywhere; ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

• दुर्गा-स्तुतिः: praise of Durgā
• दुर्गा-स्तुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्

• पुण्या: holy; meritorious
• पुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular); विशेषणम्

• वज्रपंजरसंज्ञिका: called “Vajra-paṃjara”
• वज्रपंजरसंज्ञिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-पंजर (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + संज्ञिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम् (Singular); नामधेयवाचक-विशेषणम् (having the designation)

Speaker

Durgā (Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (with Devī as kṣetra-rakṣiṇī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/devotee (and the text’s interlocutors in Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dialogue tradition)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī Durgā speaks as the compassionate protector, declaring that those who take refuge in her are never overtaken by durgati; the stotra is visualized as a radiant adamantine cage encircling the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Durgā
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking śaraṇāgati (refuge) in Devī removes durgati (misfortune) and establishes spiritual security.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, where protective stotras are presented as part of the city’s sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse identifies the stotra as ‘Vajrapañjara’; later verses describe its use as a protective kavaca and for mantra-infused water.