Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

न तद्रूपं न तच्छीलं न तत्कौलीन्यमेव च । न तत्कलासुकौशल्यं पत्युः शुश्रूषणं न तत्

Transliteration

na tadrūpaṃ na tacchīlaṃ na tatkaulīnyameva ca | na tatkalāsukauśalyaṃ patyuḥ śuśrūṣaṇaṃ na tat

Translation

Weder findet sich eine solche Gestalt noch ein solcher Charakter, noch eine solche Vornehmheit der Herkunft; noch eine so feine Kunstfertigkeit in den Künsten, noch ein so hingebungsvoller Dienst am Gatten.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• tat: that
• tat: Anaphoric reference (to ‘that (quality)’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• rūpam: beauty/form
• rūpam: Karta (as item in nominal clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• tat: that
• tat: Anaphoric reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• śīlam: conduct/character
• śīlam: Karta (nominal item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• tat: that
• tat: Anaphoric reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• kaulīnyam: noble lineage/gentility
• kaulīnyam: Karta (nominal item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaulīnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; भाववाचक

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• tat: that
• tat: Anaphoric reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• kalā-sukauśalyam: excellent skill in the arts
• kalā-sukauśalyam: Karta (nominal item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā + su-kauśalya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (kalāyāṃ sukauśalyam = skill in arts)

• patyuḥ: of the husband
• patyuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• śuśrūṣaṇam: service/attentive obedience
• śuśrūṣaṇam: Karta (nominal item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuśrūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; भाववाचक

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• tat: that
• tat: Anaphoric reference
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Skanda’s discourse (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kamalā (Lakṣmī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic ‘garland of negations’: as Nārāyaṇa speaks, symbolic panels appear—beauty (mirror/lotus), character (dharma-staff), lineage (genealogical banner), arts (vina/dance), culminating in devoted service (washing feet, offering water).

Characters & Entities

• Arundhatī (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma integrates outer and inner virtues—character and devoted service are praised alongside beauty and talent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is part of the Arundhatī praise within the Kāśī section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it highlights śuśrūṣā (devoted service) as a dharmic ideal.