Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

शून्यं दरिद्रहृदिव जीर्णारण्यमिवाथवा । पांथवत्प्रांतरमिव खिन्नोऽतीवानपत्यवान्

Transliteration

śūnyaṃ daridrahṛdiva jīrṇāraṇyamivāthavā | pāṃthavatprāṃtaramiva khinno'tīvānapatyavān

Translation

ولِمَن لا ولدَ له بدا كلُّ شيءٍ خاليًا: كقلبِ الفقير، وكغابةٍ بالية، وكقفرٍ موحشٍ للمسافر؛ فغدا شديدَ الانكسارِ والكآبة.

Word by Word

• śūnyam: empty
• śūnyam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपमान-श्रृङ्खलायां विशेषणरूपेण

• daridra-hṛd: a poor man’s heart
• daridra-hṛd: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक) + hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (दरिद्रं हृद्)

• iva: like
• iva: Upama-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (particle of comparison)

• jīrṇa-araṇyam: a worn-out forest
• jīrṇa-araṇyam: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīrṇa (कृदन्त; √jṛ (धातु) क्त) + araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (जीर्णम् अरण्यम्)

• iva: like
• iva: Upama-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक

• atha-vā: or else
• atha-vā: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय) + vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; विकल्पार्थक (or else/alternatively)

• pāṃtha-vat: like a traveller
• pāṃtha-vat: Upama (Comparative qualifier/उपमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṃtha (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित; वत्)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; उपमानवाचक तद्धितान्त (like a traveller)

• prāṃtaram: a desolate tract; wilderness
• prāṃtaram: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṃtara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upama-dyotaka (Comparator/उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक

• khinnaḥ: dejected; weary
• khinnaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khinna (कृदन्त; √khid (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• atīva: exceedingly
• atīva: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atīva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• an-apatya-vān: childless
• an-apatya-vān: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an (नञ्) + apatya (प्रातिपदिक) + vān (मतुप्/वन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष + मतुपर्थक वन्-प्रत्यय (having no child)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like allegory: (1) a poor man clutching his chest, (2) a withered, aged forest, (3) a lone traveler in a barren expanse—each reflecting the childless man’s inner emptiness.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrṇabhadra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the human and dharmic longing for household completeness, using vivid similes to show how absence of offspring intensifies suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this verse itself does not name a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is narrative description.