Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

जाड्यवार्ता जलेष्वेव स्त्रीमध्या एव दुर्बलाः । कठोरहृदया यत्र सीमंतिन्यो न मानवाः

Transliteration

jāḍyavārtā jaleṣveva strīmadhyā eva durbalāḥ | kaṭhorahṛdayā yatra sīmaṃtinyo na mānavāḥ

Translation

حيث لا يُرى الحديثُ البليدُ الخالي من المعنى إلا في المياه (كأنّ البلاهة قد غمرت كلَّ شيء)؛ وحيث تُشاهَدُ الوَهَنُ غالبًا في وسط النساء؛ وحيث تكون المتزوّجات قاسياتِ القلوب لا إنسانيّات—تُعَدُّ تلك الأرض من البلاد المنحطّة.

Word by Word

• jāḍyavārtā: News of coldness/dullness
• jāḍyavārtā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāḍyavārtā (जाड्यवार्ता)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• jaleṣu: In waters
• jaleṣu: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (जल)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी), Plural

• eva: Only/Alone
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• strīmadhyāḥ: Waists of women
• strīmadhyāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strīmadhya (स्त्रीमध्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• eva: Only
• eva: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव)
• Form: Particle (Emphasis)

• durbalāḥ: Weak/Frail
• durbalāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durbala (दुर्बल)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• kaṭhorahṛdayāḥ: Hard-hearted (lit. having hard chests/breasts)
• kaṭhorahṛdayāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṭhorahṛdayā (कठोरहृदया)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• yatra: Where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (यत्र)
• Form: Adverb (Relative Place)

• sīmantinyaḥ: Women (lit. parting the hair)
• sīmantinyaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sīmantinī (सीमन्तिनी)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

• na: Not
• na: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न)
• Form: Particle (Negation)

• mānavāḥ: Men/Humans
• mānavāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (मानव)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Plural

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-allegory tableau: a bleak ‘degraded land’ with people speaking aimlessly like rippling water, faces indifferent; in contrast, a luminous Kāśī skyline with ghāṭas and a Śiva-liṅga radiating calm, softening stern expressions into devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A land is judged by the refinement of speech, strength of character, and compassion; dharma and bhakti cultivate softness of heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a heart-purifying sacred space, contrasted with places marked by harshness and dullness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the implied path is dharmic living and devotion that ennobles conduct.