Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

इति दुर्गबलं शंसञ्श्येनो रोषारुणेक्षणः । असाध्वसौ कलरवौ वीक्ष्य यातो नभोंगणम्

Transliteration

iti durgabalaṃ śaṃsañśyeno roṣāruṇekṣaṇaḥ | asādhvasau kalaravau vīkṣya yāto nabhoṃgaṇam

Translation

So pries der Habicht die Stärke der Festung; seine Augen waren vor Zorn gerötet. Er starrte die beiden Kalaravā-Vögel an und flog dann in die Weite des Himmels empor.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle: thus)

• दुर्गबलम्: the strength of a fort
• दुर्गबलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुर्गस्य बलम्)

• शंसन्: praising/declaring
• शंसन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle) परस्मैपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्येनः: the hawk
• श्येनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रोषारुणेक्षणः: having eyes reddened with anger
• रोषारुणेक्षणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोष + अरुण + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (रोषेण अरुणे ईक्षणे यस्य)

• असाधु: wicked/not good
• असाधु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) सः (implicit)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• कलरवौ: the two paravats (cooing birds)
• कलरवौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) √वीक्ष् (to see)

• यातः: went
• यातः: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle) √या; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नभोऽङ्गणम्: to the expanse of the sky
• नभोऽङ्गणम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नभसः अङ्गणम् = expanse of the sky)

Speaker

Skanda (narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hawk with reddened, furious eyes hovers near two small birds (Kalaravā pair), then wheels upward into the vast sky; the moment captures menace and release of tension.

Characters & Entities

• Śyena (hawk)
• Kalaravau (Kalaravā birds/dove-couple)
• Durga (refuge)
• Sky

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hostility retreats when confronted with the sanctity and protective power of dharmic refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred environment is implied, where Śiva’s abodes function as an unassailable shelter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the narrative highlights the efficacy of refuge rather than prescribing a practice.