Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कृत्वा बालोचितां रक्षां हरेण हरिणा सह । निर्ययौ हंसमारुह्य सर्वेषां प्रपितामहः

Transliteration

kṛtvā bālocitāṃ rakṣāṃ hareṇa hariṇā saha | niryayau haṃsamāruhya sarveṣāṃ prapitāmahaḥ

Translation

Sau khi cử hành nghi thức hộ trì thích hợp cho hài nhi, Đấng Prāpitāmaha (Phạm Thiên), bậc Tằng Tổ của muôn loài, đã lên đường cùng Hari (Viṣṇu) và Hara (Śiva), cưỡi thiên nga của Ngài.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• बाल: child
• बाल: Sambandha (Compound relation/समाससम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• उचिताम्: appropriate
• उचिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucita (कृदन्त; √uc)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• रक्षाम्: protection, safeguard
• रक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• हरेण: with Hari
• हरेण: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• हरिणा: with Hari
• हरिणा: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition)

• निर्ययौ: went out, departed
• निर्ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु) + निर्- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हंसम्: swan
• हंसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ruh (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• प्रपितामहः: great-grandfather; (here) Brahmā
• प्रपितामहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, venerable and four-faced, completes infant-protection rites (rakṣā) and departs on a white swan; beside him stand Hari (with conch/discus) and Hara (with trident), forming a serene tri-mūrti tableau over Kāśī’s sacred skyline.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Prapitāmaha)
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Haṁsa (swan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protective dharma for new life is sacred; the narrative portrays cosmic guardianship where major deities affirm saṁskāra and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching setting in Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse centers on departure after rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bālocitā rakṣā—protective rites appropriate for an infant—are mentioned.