Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ज्वलतो रोषदावाग्नेः क्व वा शांतितरोः स्थितिः । दृष्टा केनापि किं क्वापि सिंहात्कलभसुस्थता

Transliteration

jvalato roṣadāvāgneḥ kva vā śāṃtitaroḥ sthitiḥ | dṛṣṭā kenāpi kiṃ kvāpi siṃhātkalabhasusthatā

Translation

കോപത്തിന്റെ ദാവാഗ്നി ജ്വലിക്കുമ്പോൾ ശാന്തിയുടെ വൃക്ഷം എവിടെ നിലകൊള്ളും? സിംഹത്തിന്റെ സമീപത്ത് കുഞ്ഞാന സുഖസ്ഥിതിയിൽ ഇരിക്കുന്നതു ആരെങ്കിലും എവിടെയെങ്കിലും കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ?

Word by Word

• ज्वलतः: of the blazing
• ज्वलतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्वल् (धातु) → ज्वलत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; रोषदावाग्नेः-विशेषण

• रोष-दाव-अग्नेः: of the wildfire of anger
• रोष-दाव-अग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोष (प्रातिपदिक) + दाव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (रोषः एव दावः, तस्य अग्निः)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (where?)

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive/particle: or/indeed)

• शान्ति-तरोः: of the tree of peace
• शान्ति-तरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (शान्तेः तरुः)

• स्थितिः: standing; existence
• स्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्टा: is seen
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (is seen)

• केन: by whom?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्न

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्न

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अनिश्चितार्थक-अव्यय (anywhere?)

• सिंहात्: from a lion
• सिंहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान

• कलभ-सुस्थता: the well-being/safety of an elephant-calf
• कलभ-सुस्थता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलभ (प्रातिपदिक) + सुस्थता (प्रातिपदिक; सु + स्थ + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (कलभस्य सुस्थता)

Speaker

Skanda (didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A raging forest fire labeled ‘Roṣa’ consumes a grove; a delicate ‘tree of peace’ withers. In a second vignette, a lion approaches while a young elephant tries to remain calm but cannot—symbolizing impossibility of peace amid anger.

Characters & Entities

• Roṣa (anger, as wildfire)
• Śānti (peace, as tree)
• Siṃha (lion, as image)
• Kalabha (young elephant, as image)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Peace cannot survive where anger rages; one must extinguish krodha to establish śānti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced; it is a universal dharma maxim within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is anger-control and cultivation of śānti through disciplined conduct.