Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

स्वकंठं घर्षयत्येव केकिकंठे भुजंगमः । भुजंगमफणापृष्ठे नकुलः स्वकुलोचितम्

Transliteration

svakaṃṭhaṃ gharṣayatyeva kekikaṃṭhe bhujaṃgamaḥ | bhujaṃgamaphaṇāpṛṣṭhe nakulaḥ svakulocitam

Translation

سانپ مور کی گردن پر اپنا ہی گلا رگڑتا ہے؛ اور پھن والے سانپ کی پیٹھ پر نیولا اپنی ہی جنس کے شایانِ شان برتاؤ کرتا ہے—مگر کاشی میں دشمنی نہیں رہتی۔

Word by Word

• sva-kaṇṭham: his own neck/throat
• sva-kaṇṭham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वस्य कण्ठः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• gharṣayati: rubs/scrapes
• gharṣayati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gharṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• keki-kaṇṭhe: on the peacock’s neck
• keki-kaṇṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kekin (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (केकिनः कण्ठः); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• bhujaṃgamaḥ: a serpent
• bhujaṃgamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhujaṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhujaṃgama-phaṇā-pṛṣṭhe: on the back of a serpent’s hood
• bhujaṃgama-phaṇā-pṛṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhujaṃgama (प्रातिपदिक) + phaṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भुजंगमस्य फणायाः पृष्ठे); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पृष्ठ), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• nakulaḥ: a mongoose
• nakulaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sva-kula-ucitam: what is proper to its own kind
• sva-kula-ucitam: Karma (कर्म/Object; implied ‘does/acts’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदik) + kula (प्रातिपदik) + ucita (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वकुलस्य उचितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मरूपेण/क्रियाविशेष्य)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kshetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peacock stands serene as a serpent gently rubs its throat along the peacock’s neck; nearby, a mongoose stands atop a hooded serpent’s back, poised yet peaceful—no attack, only calm coexistence within Kāśī’s aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Bhujaṅgama (serpent)
• Keki/Mayūra (peacock)
• Nakula (mongoose)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even deep-seated antagonisms are subdued in the holy field, teaching that proximity to Śiva’s presence can master instinct and hatred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra as a whole.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.