Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

शुंडादंडेन करटिः सिंहं कंडूयतेऽभयः । अष्टापदांके स्वपिति केसरी केसरोद्भटः

Transliteration

śuṃḍādaṃḍena karaṭiḥ siṃhaṃ kaṃḍūyate'bhayaḥ | aṣṭāpadāṃke svapiti kesarī kesarodbhaṭaḥ

Translation

In fearless Kāśī, the elephant scratches the lion with the staff of its trunk; and the lion, mighty-maned and splendid in his mane, sleeps upon the elephant’s lap.

Word by Word

• शुण्डा-दण्डेन: with the trunk-staff (i.e., by the elephant’s trunk)
• शुण्डा-दण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुण्डा (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शुण्डायाः दण्डः)

• करटिः: the elephant
• करटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सिंहम्: the lion
• सिंहम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कण्डूयते: scratches (causes to itch / rubs)
• कण्डूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कण्डूय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अभयः: fearless
• अभयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (करटिः)

• अष्टापद-अङ्के: on the lap/haunch of the elephant (lit. eight-footed one)
• अष्टापद-अङ्के: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टापद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अष्टापदस्य अङ्कः)

• स्वपिति: sleeps
• स्वपिति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केसरी: the lion
• केसरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केसर-उद्भटः: with a splendid mane
• केसर-उद्भटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केसर (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (केसरैः उद्भटः/केसर-सम्बन्धी उद्भटः); विशेषणम् (केसरी)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a serene forest-edge of Kāśī, an elephant gently scratches a reclining lion with its trunk like a staff; the lion, mane radiant, sleeps trustfully on the elephant’s lap—predator and prey in affectionate repose under an unseen Śiva-presence.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Siṃha (lion)
• Karaṭi (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as an abhaya-kṣetra (field of fearlessness) where even innate hostility dissolves, symbolizing the pacifying power of Śiva’s sacred space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a whole—its sacred kṣetra is praised rather than a single named tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a descriptive mahātmya illustrating Kāśī’s sanctifying influence.