Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अंतर्निमग्नवंशास्थिः पृष्ठिः स्यान्मांसला शुभा । पृष्ठेन रोमयुक्तेन वैधव्यं लभते ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

aṃtarnimagnavaṃśāsthiḥ pṛṣṭhiḥ syānmāṃsalā śubhā | pṛṣṭhena romayuktena vaidhavyaṃ labhate dhruvam

Translation

الظهر الذي لا يبرز فيه عظم العمود الفقري، بل يبدو غائرًا إلى الداخل، وكان ممتلئ اللحم، يُعدّ مباركًا؛ أمّا الظهر المشعِر فيُقال إنه يفضي يقينًا إلى الترمل.

Word by Word

• अन्तः: inside, inwardly
• अन्तः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गार्थ (adverb: inside)

• निमग्न-वंश-अस्थिः: with the spine-bone sunk inward
• निमग्न-वंश-अस्थिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमग्न (कृदन्त; नि+√मज्ज् ‘to sink’ → निमग्न) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘निमग्नं वंशास्थि यस्याः’ (having the spinal bone sunk inward)

• पृष्ठिः: back (the back part)
• पृष्ठिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/is (as a rule)
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मांसला: fleshy
• मांसला: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मांसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• शुभा: auspicious, good
• शुभा: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• पृष्ठेन: by/with the back
• पृष्ठेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• रोम-युक्तेन: hairy, having hair
• रोम-युक्तेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् ‘to join’ → युक्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘रोमैः युक्त’ (endowed with hair)

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ध्रुवम्: certainly, surely
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय (indeclinable accusative used adverbially); नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचन as adverb

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśīkṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrasting backs: one well-fleshed with spine not protruding (śubha), another with visible hair (aśubha) shown as symbolic illustration; the setting remains a calm teaching scene near Kāśī’s riverfront.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents traditional omens tied to destiny, encouraging a dharmic life rather than superstition-driven fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred context; this verse itself is not a tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of auspicious and inauspicious bodily characteristics.