Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

कंडूयमाना वरटा स्वचंचुपुटकोटिभिः । हंसं कामयमानं तु वारयेत्पक्षधूननैः

Transliteration

kaṃḍūyamānā varaṭā svacaṃcupuṭakoṭibhiḥ | haṃsaṃ kāmayamānaṃ tu vārayetpakṣadhūnanaiḥ

Translation

Ein weiblicher Vogel, der sich mit den Spitzen seines eigenen Schnabels kratzt, hält einen von Begierde ergriffenen Schwan durch Flügelschütteln zurück.

Word by Word

• कण्डूयमाना: scratching (herself)
• कण्डूयमाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कण्डूय्/कण्डू (धातु, ‘कण्डूयने/खुजली’)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वरटा: the female bird (varaṭā)
• वरटा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्व-चञ्चु-पुट-कोटिभिः: with the tips/edges of her own beak-cavity
• स्व-चञ्चु-पुट-कोटिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + चञ्चु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुट (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (कोटि), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य चञ्चोः पुटस्य कोटयः)

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

• कामयमानम्: desiring (her)
• कामयमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम् (धातु, ‘कान्तौ/इच्छायाम्’) (णिच्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हंसम्)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वारयेत्: should ward off/prevent
• वारयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (धातु, ‘वरणे/निवारणे’) (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पक्ष-धूननैः: by flapping/shaking (her) wings
• पक्ष-धूननैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + धूनन (प्रातिपदिक; √धू ‘कम्पने’ ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पक्षाणां धूननानि)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; descriptive narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (local waterside)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: By a waterside, a female bird scratches herself with her beak while simultaneously warding off an amorous swan with a brisk wing-shake—comic, lively, and subtly moralizing.

Characters & Entities

• Haṃsa (swan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint of kāma (desire) is portrayed as natural and dharmic, even among creatures—an implicit praise of purity in sacred Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse participates in the broader Kāśī-mahātmya context rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it conveys ethical discipline (self-control) through narrative imagery.