Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

रासभैः करभैः कीशैः श्वेनैरश्वतरैर्बकैः । स्वप्ने स जीवितं त्यक्त्वा वर्षांते यममीक्षते

Transliteration

rāsabhaiḥ karabhaiḥ kīśaiḥ śvenairaśvatarairbakaiḥ | svapne sa jīvitaṃ tyaktvā varṣāṃte yamamīkṣate

Translation

സ്വപ്നത്തിൽ കഴുതകൾ, ഒട്ടകങ്ങൾ, കുരങ്ങുകൾ, നായകൾ, ഖച്ചറുകൾ, കൊക്കുകൾ എന്നിവ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയതായി (അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നതായി) കണ്ടാൽ—അവൻ പ്രാണം വിട്ട് വർഷാന്ത്യത്തിൽ യമനെ ദർശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• रासभैः: by donkeys
• रासभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रासभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• करभैः: by camels
• करभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• कीशैः: by monkeys/apes
• कीशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• श्वेनैः: by dogs
• श्वेनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• अश्वतरैः: by mules
• अश्वतरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• बकैः: by cranes/herons
• बकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• वर्षान्ते: at the end of the year
• वर्षान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षस्य अन्तः)

• यमम्: Yama (lord of death)
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• ईक्षते: sees/beholds
• ईक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्? (Ātmanepada usage common: ईक्षते), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dream-scene where donkeys, camels, monkeys, dogs, mules, and cranes form a chaotic ring around the dreamer; in the distance, Yama’s dark figure and his southern direction loom, suggesting an inevitable summons.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is limited; one should live ethically and intensify sādhana before the ‘summons’ of Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, indirectly reinforcing Kāśī’s liberation-centric worldview.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it provides a one-year time horizon associated with a dream-omen.