Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सूकरः स्तब्धरोमापि विहाय निजयूथकम् । चरेद्वनशुनां मध्ये मुस्तान्यस्तेक्षणोबली

Transliteration

sūkaraḥ stabdharomāpi vihāya nijayūthakam | caredvanaśunāṃ madhye mustānyastekṣaṇobalī

Translation

Even the bristly-haired boar, leaving its own herd behind, roams among wild dogs—strong, yet with its gaze gently lowered—within Kāśī’s fearless domain.

Word by Word

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

• स्तब्ध-रोमा: with bristling hair
• स्तब्ध-रोमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तब्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + रोमन्/रोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (स्तब्धं रोम यस्य); विशेषणम् (सूकरः)

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

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• निज-यूथकम्: his own herd
• निज-यूथकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + यूथक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (निजं यूथकम्)

• चरेत्: would roam / should roam
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वन-शुनाम्: of the wild dogs
• वन-शुनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + शुन्/श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वनस्य शुनः)

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुस्त-अन्यस्त-ईक्षण-उबली: strong, with eyes fixed on the musta-grass
• मुस्त-अन्यस्त-ईक्षण-उबली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यस्त (कृदन्त, नि-स्था धातोः क्त) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + बली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समासः (मुस्ते अन्यस्तं ईक्षणं यस्य सः; बली च) विशेषणम् (सूकरः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bristly boar, solitary after leaving its herd, walks calmly among a ring of wild dogs; despite its power, its eyes are lowered in gentleness, as if the very air of Kāśī commands peace.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Sūkara (boar)
• Vanaśuna (wild dogs)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse uses animal imagery to teach that Kāśī’s sanctity calms aggression and fear, pointing to inner peace gained in Śiva’s kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra broadly; the verse does not isolate a particular ghat or tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an illustrative praise (māhātmya) rather than a ritual instruction.