Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सूर्योदयमनुप्राप्य प्राच्यां शुष्कतरूपरि । करटो रारटीत्येष कटूत्कट भयप्रदः

Transliteration

sūryodayamanuprāpya prācyāṃ śuṣkatarūpari | karaṭo rāraṭītyeṣa kaṭūtkaṭa bhayapradaḥ

Translation

ครั้นอรุณรุ่ง ในทิศบูรพา บนต้นไม้แห้งต้นหนึ่ง อูฐร้องลั่นว่า “รารฏี!” เสียงกระด้างเสียดหูนั้นแผ่ความหวาดผวาฉับพลัน

Word by Word

• सूर्योदयम्: sunrise
• सूर्योदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य उदयः)

• अनुप्राप्य: having reached
• अनुप्राप्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्यय-कृदन्त), ‘having reached/attained’; उपसर्गः अनु-

• प्राच्याम्: in the east
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शुष्कतरु-उपरि: upon a dry tree
• शुष्कतरु-उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शुष्क + तरु (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: ‘उपरि’ इति देशवाचक-अव्यय; पूर्वपदं ‘शुष्कतरु’ (पुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन-रूपं) सह प्रयोगः; अर्थतः ‘on/above a dry tree’

• करटः: the elephant
• करटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• रारटीति: (he) roared thus
• रारटीति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रट् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘रारटी’ = he roared; ‘इति’ इति उद्धरण-चिह्न (अव्यय)

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कटूत्कटः: harsh and intense
• कटूत्कटः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कटु + उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कटुश्चासौ उत्कटश्च)

• भयप्रदः: fear-giving
• भयप्रदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (भयं प्रददाति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At first light, the eastern sky glows; a dry, leafless tree stands stark. A camel perched or standing near it cries out with a jagged, echoing call, and nearby people pause in alarm.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)
• Sūrya (sunrise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In sacred Kāśī narratives, disturbing omens at liminal times (like sunrise) foreshadow deceit or adharma and urge vigilance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse functions as narrative atmosphere rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes an omen-like event.