Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अतिविस्तृत पादं च दीर्घवक्रकृशांगुलिम् । अस्थिचर्मावशेषेण शिराताडितविग्रहम्

Transliteration

ativistṛta pādaṃ ca dīrghavakrakṛśāṃgulim | asthicarmāvaśeṣeṇa śirātāḍitavigraham

Translation

তার পা ছিল অতি বিস্তৃত এবং আঙুলগুলি দীর্ঘ, বাঁকা ও শীর্ণ। কেবল অস্থি ও চর্মসার হওয়ায় তার দেহটি শিরায় আবৃত মনে হচ্ছিল।

Word by Word

• अति-विस्तृतम्: very expanded, extremely broad
• अति-विस्तृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्गभाव) + विस्तृत (कृदन्त; √स्तृ (धातु) + वि- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (अतिशयेन विस्तृतम्)

• पादम्: foot
• पादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• दीर्घ-वक्र-कृश-अङ्गुलिम्: having long, crooked, thin fingers/toes
• दीर्घ-वक्र-कृश-अङ्गुलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कृश (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (दीर्घाश्च वक्राश्च कृशाश्च अङ्गुलयः यस्य)

• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषेण: with (only) the remnants of bone and skin
• अस्थि-चर्म-अवशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अवशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• शिरा-ताडित-विग्रहम्: whose body is struck/beaten by veins (i.e., vein-ridged)
• शिरा-ताडित-विग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरा (प्रातिपदिक) + ताडित (कृदन्त; √ताड् (धातु), क्त) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिराभिः ताडितः विग्रहः)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual narration to Agastya in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-sabhā (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close focus on the preta’s feet: overly broad soles, long crooked thin toes; the rest of the body is sinewy with vein-stripes, emphasizing deprivation and karmic distortion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It strengthens the narrative’s moral force: suffering follows degraded conduct, while sacred merit offers relief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sanctified setting; no particular tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.