Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

विस्तीर्णौ मांसलौ स्निग्धौ स्फिचावस्य सुखोचितौ । वामावर्तौ सुप्रलंबौ दोषौ दिग्रक्षणोचितौ

Transliteration

vistīrṇau māṃsalau snigdhau sphicāvasya sukhocitau | vāmāvartau supralaṃbau doṣau digrakṣaṇocitau

Translation

Sind seine Gesäßbacken breit, fleischig und glatt, dem Wohlsein angemessen, und sind seine Hoden linksdrehend und wohl herabhängend, so ist er geeignet, die Himmelsrichtungen zu bewachen, also zu königlichem Schutz und Befehl.

Word by Word

• vistīrṇau: broad/spread out
• vistīrṇau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√stṛ (धातु) → vistīrṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• māṃsalau: fleshy
• māṃsalau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māṃsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• snigdhau: smooth/oily
• snigdhau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण

• sphicau: buttocks (two)
• sphicau: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: sphic (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sukhocitau: fit for comfort
• sukhocitau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha + ucita (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (sukhasya ucitau)

• vāmāvartau: left-turning
• vāmāvartau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma + āvarta (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (vāmasya āvartaḥ)

• supralaṃbau: very pendulous/long-hanging
• supralaṃbau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + pralaṃba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (su-pralaṃbau)

• doṣau: testicles (two)
• doṣau: Karta/Viśeṣya
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• digrakṣaṇocitau: fit for guarding the quarters (directions)
• digrakṣaṇocitau: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dik + rakṣaṇa + ucita (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय/त्रय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः (digrakṣaṇe ucitau / dig-rakṣaṇasya ucitau)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene where the teacher describes marks signifying a protector-commander; imagery can shift to a symbolic ‘digpāla’ mandala behind the student, implying fitness to guard directions.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Authority is linked with protective duty (dik-rakṣaṇa), emphasizing rulership as responsibility grounded in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is referenced; it is a lakṣaṇa teaching within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes signs associated with capacity for royal protection.