Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

समपार्ष्णिः शुभा नारी पृथुपार्ष्णिश्च दुर्भगा । कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि स्याद्दीर्घपार्ष्णिश्च दुःखभाक्

Transliteration

samapārṣṇiḥ śubhā nārī pṛthupārṣṇiśca durbhagā | kulaṭonnatapārṣṇi syāddīrghapārṣṇiśca duḥkhabhāk

Translation

المرأة التي تكون أعقابها متساوية تُعدّ مباركة؛ والتي أعقابها عريضة تُعدّ مشؤومة. والتي أعقابها مرتفعة تُوصَف بالمجون، والتي أعقابها طويلة تحمل نصيبًا من الحزن.

Word by Word

• समपार्ष्णिः: having even heels
• समपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (समा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• पृथुपार्ष्णिः: having broad heels
• पृथुपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (पृथु पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, 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: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि: having a raised heel like a wanton woman
• कुलटोन्नतपार्ष्णि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलटा + उन्नत + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासार्थ (कुलटायाः/कुलटासदृशी उन्नता पार्ष्णिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Compound adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• दीर्घपार्ष्णिः: having long heels
• दीर्घपार्ष्णिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ + पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: कर्मधारय (दीर्घा पार्ष्णिः यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Karmadhāraya adjective; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• दुःखभाक्: a partaker of sorrow, suffering
• दुःखभाक्: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + भाज् (कृदन्त; √भज्, शतृ/क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुःखं भजते/भाक्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (Tatpuruṣa adjectival; Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau of heels: even heel as auspicious; broad heel as unfortunate; raised heel as signaling wantonness; long heel as sorrow-bearing—presented as a moralizing typology.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse reflects a traditional linkage between bodily signs and character/fortune, urging a dharmic ideal of steadiness and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting (Kāśī-khaṇḍa), though no specific tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.