Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ज्वलतो रोषदावाग्नेः क्व वा शांतितरोः स्थितिः । दृष्टा केनापि किं क्वापि सिंहात्कलभसुस्थता

Transliteration

jvalato roṣadāvāgneḥ kva vā śāṃtitaroḥ sthitiḥ | dṛṣṭā kenāpi kiṃ kvāpi siṃhātkalabhasusthatā

Translation

Wenn das Waldfeuer des Zorns lodert, wo könnte der Baum des Friedens stehen? Hat je jemand irgendwo gesehen, dass ein junger Elefant unbesorgt neben einem Löwen verweilt?

Word by Word

• ज्वलतः: of the blazing
• ज्वलतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्वल् (धातु) → ज्वलत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; रोषदावाग्नेः-विशेषण

• रोष-दाव-अग्नेः: of the wildfire of anger
• रोष-दाव-अग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोष (प्रातिपदिक) + दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (रोषः एव दावः, तस्य अग्निः)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (where?)

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive/particle: or/indeed)

• शान्ति-तरोः: of the tree of peace
• शान्ति-तरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (शान्तेः तरुः)

• स्थितिः: standing; existence
• स्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्टा: is seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (is seen)

• केन: by whom?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्न

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्न

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनिश्चितार्थक-अव्यय (anywhere?)

• सिंहात्: from a lion
• सिंहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान

• कलभ-सुस्थता: the well-being/safety of an elephant-calf
• कलभ-सुस्थता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलभ (प्रातिपदिक) + सुस्थता (प्रातिपदिक; सु + स्थ + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (कलभस्य सुस्थता)

Speaker

Skanda (didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A raging forest fire labeled ‘Roṣa’ consumes a grove; a delicate ‘tree of peace’ withers. In a second vignette, a lion approaches while a young elephant tries to remain calm but cannot—symbolizing impossibility of peace amid anger.

Characters & Entities

• Roṣa (anger, as wildfire)
• Śānti (peace, as tree)
• Siṃha (lion, as image)
• Kalabha (young elephant, as image)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Peace cannot survive where anger rages; one must extinguish krodha to establish śānti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; it is a universal dharma maxim within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is anger-control and cultivation of śānti through disciplined conduct.