Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

नारायणाय नरकहारिणे पापहारिणे । वामनाय नमस्तुभ्यं हरये शौरये नमः

Transliteration

nārāyaṇāya narakahāriṇe pāpahāriṇe | vāmanāya namastubhyaṃ haraye śauraye namaḥ

Translation

نارائن کو نمسکار، دوزخی دکھ دور کرنے والے کو، گناہ ہرانے والے کو۔ وامن کو نمسکار؛ ہری کو نمسکار؛ شوری کو نمسکار۔

Word by Word

• नारायणाय: to Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नरक-हारिणे: to the remover of hell
• नरक-हारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: नरकं हरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• पाप-हारिणे: to the remover of sin
• पाप-हारिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्म-तत्पुरुष: पापं हरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वामनाय: to Vāmana
• वामनाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• हरये: to Hari
• हरये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• शौरये: to Śauri
• शौरये: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Kāśī prays to Nārāyaṇa as a compassionate savior; above, Vāmana expands into Trivikrama, symbolizing the Lord’s power to lift beings from naraka into light.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Vāmana
• Hari
• Śauri (Kṛṣṇa)
• Naraka
• Pāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere surrender and remembrance of Nārāyaṇa is portrayed as a force that removes pāpa and its consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred milieu; the verse emphasizes spiritual purification rather than a named spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the language supports nāma-japa as a purificatory practice.