Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अथ देवालयस्कंधे गवाक्षांतर्गतौ च तौ । श्येनेन केनचिद्दृष्टौ क्रूरदृष्ट्या सुखस्थितौ

Transliteration

atha devālayaskaṃdhe gavākṣāṃtargatau ca tau | śyenena kenaciddṛṣṭau krūradṛṣṭyā sukhasthitau

Translation

Alors, tandis que les deux oiseaux demeuraient paisiblement assis dans l’ouverture d’une fenêtre du sanctuaire, un faucon les aperçut et les fixa d’un regard cruel.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-निपात (discourse particle)

• देवालयस्कन्धे: on the temple’s ledge/shoulder (projection)
• देवालयस्कन्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवालय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवालयस्य स्कन्धे (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• गवाक्षान्तर्गतौ: situated inside the window-opening
• गवाक्षान्तर्गतौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गवाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर्गत (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—गवाक्षे अन्तर्गतौ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः); अन्तर्गत = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• श्येनेन: by a hawk
• श्येनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केनचित्: by some (one)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• दृष्टौ: were seen
• दृष्टौ: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘seen’

• क्रूरदृष्ट्या: with a cruel gaze
• क्रूरदृष्ट्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—क्रूरा दृष्टिः (कर्मधारयः)

• सुखस्थितौ: comfortably seated/at ease
• सुखस्थितौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—सुखे स्थितौ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः); स्थित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Trilocana (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied interlocutor (earlier addressed as muni/vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two birds resting inside a temple window niche, relaxed; a hawk appears nearby with sharp eyes and predatory posture, casting a shadow across the stonework.

Characters & Entities

• devālaya (temple)
• gavākṣa (window/opening)
• hawk (śyena)
• pigeons (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives often introduce a trial to reveal the protective power of the holy place and the steadfastness of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The devālaya (temple) near Trilocana Śiva in Kāśī, depicted as the setting of the episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it sets up the narrative conflict (the hawk’s threat) within the temple precinct.