Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

केशिहृत्कैटभाराते कंसारे कमलापते । कृष्णकेशव कंजाक्ष कीनाश भयनाशन

Transliteration

keśihṛtkaiṭabhārāte kaṃsāre kamalāpate | kṛṣṇakeśava kaṃjākṣa kīnāśa bhayanāśana

Translation

โอ้ผู้ปราบเคศิน ศัตรูแห่งไกฏภะ ผู้ทำลายกังสะ เจ้าแห่งกมลา! โอ้กฤษณะ โอ้เคศวะ ผู้มีเนตรดุจดอกบัว—โอ้ผู้ขจัดความหวาดกลัว ผู้ทำลายความตาย!

Word by Word

• केशि-हृत्: O slayer of Keśin
• केशि-हृत्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशि (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक ‘हृ’ क्तिन्/क्विप्-सम्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (केशिं हृतवान्/हन्ता)

• कैटभ-अराते: O enemy of Kaiṭabha
• कैटभ-अराते: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैटभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अराति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कैटभस्य अरातिः = शत्रुः)

• कंस-अरे: O foe of Kaṃsa
• कंस-अरे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक) + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कंसस्य अरिः)

• कमला-पते: O lord of Kamalā (Lakṣmī)
• कमला-पते: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमला (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कमलायाः पतिः)

• कृष्ण: O Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्ण: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• केशव: O Keśava
• केशव: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कञ्ज-अक्ष: O lotus-eyed one
• कञ्ज-अक्ष: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (कञ्जे इव अक्षिणी यस्य)

• कीनाश: O destroyer / controller
• कीनाश: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; (दुर्लभ-शब्दः; ‘नियन्ता/विनाशक’ इत्यर्थे)

• भय-नाशन: O remover of fear
• भय-नाशन: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भयस्य नाशनः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rapid montage-like vision: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa defeating Keśin (horse demon), subduing Kaiṭabha, slaying Kaṃsa in the arena; then the deity stands serene as Kamalāpati, lotus-eyed, granting abhaya-mudrā to devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Keśin
• Kaiṭabha
• Kaṃsa
• Kamalā (Lakṣmī)
• Kṛṣṇa
• Keśava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering the Lord as the conqueror of evil and fear grants inner protection and spiritual courage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; it is a devotional name-litany within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit nāma-stuti/japa: recitation of Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa epithets as a fear-dispelling practice.