Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

दरिद्रा मध्यनम्रेण शिरालेन सदाध्वगा । रोमाढ्येन भवेद्दासी निर्मांसेन च दुर्भगा

Transliteration

daridrā madhyanamreṇa śirālena sadādhvagā | romāḍhyena bhaveddāsī nirmāṃsena ca durbhagā

Translation

إن كانت القدم منخفضة في وسطها قيل إنها فقيرة؛ وإن كانت كثيرة العروق قيل إنها دائمة الترحال. وإن كثُر شعرها قيل إنها تصير خادمة؛ وإن خلت من اللحم عُدَّت سيئة الحظ.

Word by Word

• दरिद्रा: poor
• दरिद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• मध्यनम्रेण: by having a sunken middle (of the foot)
• मध्यनम्रेण: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + नम्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ-विशेषण (मध्येन/मध्ये नम्रः → मध्यनम्रः); नपुंसक/पुं? अत्र तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (नपुंसकलिङ्ग-रूपं); (Tatpuruṣa adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

• शिरालेन: by being veiny
• शिरालेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (रूपं: -ेन); (Adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अध्वगा: one who is always on the road, a wanderer
• अध्वगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्व + ग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अध्वानं गच्छति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Tatpuruṣa adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• रोमाढ्येन: by being hairy
• रोमाढ्येन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रोम्णा आढ्यः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (Genitive tatpuruṣa; Instrumental, Singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (Optative, 3rd sg)

• दासी: a maidservant
• दासी: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• निर्मांसेन: by being fleshless, bony
• निर्मांसेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Cause/Instrument/हेतु/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्- + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण (निर्मांस = मांस-रहित); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; (Adjective; Instrumental, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• दुर्भगा: unfortunate
• दुर्भगा: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrasting depiction: a foot with a depressed middle, prominent veins, excessive hair, and thinness—shown as aśubha signs leading to hardship; the tone is admonitory, not mocking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text uses traditional physiognomic symbolism to discuss ‘śubha’ and ‘aśubha’ outcomes, reflecting a dharmic worldview of karmic indications.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though no individual tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists inauspicious lakṣaṇas and associated outcomes.