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

Chư Thiên thưa rằng: Kính lễ Ngài, ôi Nữ Thần, Đấng nâng đỡ thế gian—Đấng như chiến địa vĩ đại của ba cõi. Ôi Đại Năng lực của Maheśvara, như lưỡi rìu đốn ngã cây rừng của bọn daitya, chúng con đảnh lễ Ngài.

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.