Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अष्टांगाभरणानां च संख्या कर्तुं न शक्यते । वाससां च विचित्राणां कोमलानां तथा मुने

Transliteration

aṣṭāṃgābharaṇānāṃ ca saṃkhyā kartuṃ na śakyate | vāsasāṃ ca vicitrāṇāṃ komalānāṃ tathā mune

Translation

يا أيها الحكيم، لا يُستطاع إحصاء عدد الحُلِيّ التي تزيّن كل عضو؛ وكذلك الثياب الرقيقة المتنوّعة الجميلة فهي فوق العدّ والحصر.

Word by Word

• अष्टाङ्गाभरणानाम्: of the ornaments for the eight limbs
• अष्टाङ्गाभरणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाङ्ग-आभरण (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + अङ्ग + आभरण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अष्टाङ्गेषु आभरणानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संख्या: the number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to make (to count)
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—‘करितुम्’ (to do/make)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• वाससाम्: of garments
• वाससाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विचित्राणाम्: variegated, diverse
• विचित्राणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वाससाम्)

• कोमलानाम्: soft, delicate
• कोमलानाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वाससाम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/likewise)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine retinue described through uncountable limb-ornaments and delicate, variegated garments—an overwhelming vision of celestial finery preceding the approach to Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s sacred grandeur is portrayed as immeasurable, implying that worldly measures fail before a divinely charged tirtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), the preeminent Śaiva sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as mahātmya-style praise through description.