Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

भल्लूकाकारसर्वांग उष्ट्रलंबशिरोधरः । कश्चिद्दुर्दर्शदशनस्त्वभ्यधावत्तमर्भकम्

Transliteration

bhallūkākārasarvāṃga uṣṭralaṃbaśirodharaḥ | kaściddurdarśadaśanastvabhyadhāvattamarbhakam

Translation

L’un (des esprits) avait tout le corps semblable à un ours, et une tête longue et pendante comme celle d’un chameau ; avec des crocs affreux, insoutenables à regarder, il se rua sur l’enfant.

Word by Word

• भल्लूकाकारसर्वाङ्गः: one whose whole body was bear-shaped
• भल्लूकाकारसर्वाङ्गः: Karta (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भल्लूक + आकार + सर्व + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (भल्लूकाकारं सर्वाङ्गं यस्य सः)

• उष्ट्रलम्बशिरोधरः: having a camel-like long head
• उष्ट्रलम्बशिरोधरः: Karta (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ट्र + लम्ब + शिरस् + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (उष्ट्रवत् लम्बं शिरो धारयति)

• कश्चित्: someone/a certain one
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• दुर्दर्शदशनः: having terrifying/hard-to-look-at teeth
• दुर्दर्शदशनः: Karta (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्दर्श + दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (दुर्दर्शाः दशनाः यस्य सः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक (but/indeed)

• अभ्यधावत्: ran towards/charged
• अभ्यधावत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि √धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्भकम्: the child/boy
• अर्भकम्: Karma (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बालवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single bhūta with bear-like body and camel-long drooping head, brandishing dreadful fangs, lunges toward a small child-ascetic who remains poised in tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Frightful appearances are used to shake a seeker’s resolve; the dharmic response is inner steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography; this verse narrates the ordeal rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the passage is descriptive, portraying obstacles to austerity.