Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

वैरं परित्यज्य लुठेदुत्प्लुत्योत्प्लुत्य लीलया । आलोक्य मूषकं सर्पश्चरंतं वदनाग्रतः

Transliteration

vairaṃ parityajya luṭhedutplutyotplutya līlayā | ālokya mūṣakaṃ sarpaścaraṃtaṃ vadanāgrataḥ

Translation

怨みを捨てた蛇は、戯れのままに転がり、跳ねてはまた跳ねつつ、口先のすぐ前を動く鼠を見つめている。

Word by Word

• vairam: enmity
• vairam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• parityajya: having renounced
• parityajya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) → parityajya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having abandoned completely)

• luṭhet: would roll about
• luṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √luṭh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• utplutya: having leapt
• utplutya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√plu (धातु) → utplutya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having jumped up)

• utplutya: having leapt (again)
• utplutya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√plu (धातु) → utplutya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-पूर्वक्रिया (having leapt again)

• līlayā: playfully/with sport
• līlayā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ālokya: having seen
• ālokya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√lok (धातु) → ālokya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having looked at)

• mūṣakam: a mouse
• mūṣakam: Karma (कर्म/Object; of ālokya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• sarpaḥ: a snake
• sarpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• carantam: moving/walking
• carantam: Karma (कर्म/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √car (धातु) → carant (शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मूषकम्)

• vadanāgrataḥ: in front of the mouth/face
• vadanāgrataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक) + agrataḥ (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निष्पन्न)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/ablatival adverb): वदन-अग्रतः = मुखस्य अग्रे/समक्षम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kshetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serpent, coiled then rolling and springing in playful arcs, watches a mouse calmly walk right before its mouth; the setting is a serene Kāśī grove with a subtle sacred radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Sarpa (serpent)
• Mūṣaka (mouse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is celebrated as a realm where vairāgya from hostility becomes natural—an emblem of spiritual liberation from hatred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra generally, as an all-transforming sacred environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.