Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

स्फुटं दृष्टं मयाद्येति स्वकरांगारकर्ष णम् । नष्टं भर्तृगृहं मौग्ध्याच्छ्रेयो वा न पितुर्गृहम्

Transliteration

sphuṭaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ mayādyeti svakarāṃgārakarṣa ṇam | naṣṭaṃ bhartṛgṛhaṃ maugdhyācchreyo vā na piturgṛham

Translation

Heute habe ich es deutlich erkannt: Es ist, als zöge man glühende Kohlen mit der eigenen Hand. Aus Torheit habe ich das Haus meines Gatten zugrunde gerichtet; ist das Haus meines Vaters für mich etwa besser?

Word by Word

• sphuṭam: clearly
• sphuṭam: Avyaya (Adverb/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘seen’

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ-भावे (agent)

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

• iti: thus
• iti: Avyaya (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

• svakara-aṃgāra-karṣaṇam: dragging embers with one’s own hand
• svakara-aṃgāra-karṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃgāra (प्रातिपदिक) + karṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वकरेण अङ्गारस्य कर्षणम्’ (pulling/dragging embers with one’s own hand)

• naṣṭam: lost/ruined
• naṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु) → naṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘lost/ruined’

• bhartṛgṛham: husband’s house
• bhartṛgṛham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भर्तुः गृहम्’

• maugdhyāt: due to folly
• maugdhyāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maugdhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ (because of)

• śreyaḥ: better (course)/welfare
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तुलनार्थे ‘better’

• vā: or
• vā: Avyaya (Conjunction/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• pituḥ: of (my) father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• gṛham: house
• gṛham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

The woman character (reflective lament), reported by Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid metaphor made visible: the woman recoils from glowing embers in her own palm, realizing her folly; behind her, the silhouettes of husband’s and father’s houses suggest the dilemma is internal, not spatial.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wrong choices burn the doer first; dharma is portrayed as practical wisdom that prevents self-inflicted harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the verse is ethical reflection within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.