Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

क्रोडीकृत्य क्रोडपोतं तरक्षुः क्रीडयत्यहो । शार्दूलबालानुत्सार्य शार्दूलीमेणपोतकः

Transliteration

kroḍīkṛtya kroḍapotaṃ tarakṣuḥ krīḍayatyaho | śārdūlabālānutsārya śārdūlīmeṇapotakaḥ

Translation

Merveille, en vérité : la hyène, ayant pris sur ses genoux un jeune marcassin, joue avec lui ; et la tigresse, écartant ses propres petits, s’ébat avec un faon.

Word by Word

• क्रोडी-कृत्य: having taken into the lap / having embraced
• क्रोडी-कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रोडी (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘क्रोडी’ इति क्रियाविशेषण-पूर्वकं (in the lap/embracingly)

• क्रोड-पोतम्: the cub (young one) of the boar
• क्रोड-पोतम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोड (प्रातिपदिक) + पोत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्रोडस्य पोतः)

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

• क्रीडयति: plays (with)
• क्रीडयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहो: ah! / indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादिबोधक-निपात (exclamation)

• शार्दूल-बालान्: tiger-cubs
• शार्दूल-बालान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शार्दूलस्य बालाः)

• उत्सार्य: having driven away
• उत्सार्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• शार्दूली-मेण-पोतकः: the fawn-cub belonging to the tigress
• शार्दूली-मेण-पोतकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्दूली (प्रातिपदिक) + मेण (प्रातिपदिक) + पोतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शार्दूल्याः मेणपोतकः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hyena sits with a young boar in its lap, playfully nuzzling it; nearby, a tigress gently turns away her own cubs to frolic with a fawn—an impossible tableau of tenderness in the wild, suffused with Kāśī’s sacred calm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Tarakṣu (hyena)
• Śārdūlī (tigress)
• Meṇapotaka (fawn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as spiritually transformative: even predatory instincts are softened, signifying the possibility of inner conversion for humans as well.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra generally; the imagery serves the broader praise of the holy field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a narrative-style glorification.