Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71
शुकतुंड प्रचंडास्य भीमाक्ष क्षुदमानस । उलूकनेत्र कंकास्य काकतुंड करालवाक्
śukatuṃḍa pracaṃḍāsya bhīmākṣa kṣudamānasa | ulūkanetra kaṃkāsya kākatuṃḍa karālavāk
«Ô toi au bec de perroquet, à la gueule terrible ; ô toi aux yeux effrayants, à l’esprit mesquin ; ô toi aux yeux de hibou, au visage de vautour ; ô toi au bec de corbeau, à la parole redoutable !»
Daitya-puṅgavaḥ (deduced from continued summons)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sages/pilgrims (contextual)
Scene: A ring of bird-beaked, owl-eyed, vulture-faced guardians/spirits is addressed by the chanter; their sharp profiles and harsh speech are visually contrasted with calm, lamp-bearing devotees whose faces show compassion and restraint.
FAQs
Harsh speech and petty mind are marked as traits of adharma; purāṇic ethics praise self-control and auspicious speech.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative set around Kāśī.
None.